Tue Sep 10 17:10:57 UTC 2024: ## Environmental Defenders Face Deadly Threat as Climate Crisis Intensifies
**ATLANTA, GA -** A new report from Global Witness has revealed a stark reality: the fight to protect our planet is increasingly deadly. In 2023 alone, almost 200 people were murdered for attempting to defend their land and communities from ecological devastation. This brings the total number of environmental defenders killed since 2012 to a staggering 2,106.
The report, released on Tuesday, paints a bleak picture, highlighting the alarmingly high number of killings, particularly in Latin America, where 85% of the 2023 deaths occurred. Colombia emerged as the deadliest country for defenders, with 79 murdered, surpassing any previous yearly figure.
Mining operations were the primary target, with 25 deaths linked to resistance against them. Other industries implicated include logging, fishing, agribusiness, roads and infrastructure, and hydropower.
The report also underscores the disproportionate violence faced by Indigenous communities defending their lands. Nearly half of those killed in 2023 were Indigenous peoples or Afrodescendants. This grim statistic coincides with the growing demand for minerals crucial for the transition to renewable energy, with many of these resources located on Indigenous and peasant lands.
“We cannot afford to, nor should we tolerate, losing any more lives,” stated Laura Furones, lead author of the report. She emphasized the critical role of activists in preventing and mitigating the harm caused by climate-damaging industries.
Global Witness urges governments and businesses to take decisive action to protect defenders and hold perpetrators accountable. The organization also highlights the global surge in anti-protest legislation, further hindering environmental activism.
“Now it is my role, as a defender, to push elite power to take radical action that swings us away from fossil fuels and toward systems that benefit the whole of society,” wrote Nonhle Mbuthuma, a Goldman Environmental Prize winner. She stressed the responsibility of wealthy nations to ensure that defenders can speak out without risk.
The report serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those on the frontlines of protecting our planet. It calls for a fundamental shift in how we approach climate action, prioritizing the protection of those who are most vulnerable and recognizing their crucial role in shaping a sustainable future.
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