In 2024, 142 environmental defenders were killed while protecting water, forests, and land, according to a new report by the international group Global Witness. Four others were reported missing.
The report, Roots of Resistance, shows that violence against environmental activists remains widespread. Since 2012, at least 2,253 land and environmental defenders have been killed or disappeared. Of these, 2,015 were confirmed murdered and 92 remain missing.
“These figures mean that on average, three people were killed or went missing every week last year for defending their right to a clean and safe environment,” said Laura Furones, lead author of the report. “They are being hunted, harassed, and killed, not for breaking laws, but for defending life itself.”
Global picture
The report highlights that 82 percent of cases recorded in 2024 occurred in Latin America. Colombia was the most dangerous country, with 48 killings. This was followed by Guatemala with 20, Mexico with 18, Brazil with 12, and the Philippines with 7.
Other countries where defenders were killed include Honduras, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, and Liberia. Single cases were reported in Russia, India, Venezuela, Argentina, Madagascar, Turkey, Cameroon, Cambodia, and the Dominican Republic.
South America remains the deadliest region for environmental defenders. Global Witness linked the violence to illegal mining, drug trafficking, agribusiness, and infrastructure projects in biodiversity-rich areas.
In Colombia, where threats are most severe, activists say they continue to live under constant risk. “As this report shows, the vast majority of defenders under attack are not defenders by choice, including myself,” said Jani Silva, a Colombian activist under state protection. “We are defenders because our homes, land, communities, and lives are under threat.”
Families of murdered activists also live with the consequences. In Honduras, Julia Francisco Martinez still mourns her husband, Juan, an Indigenous defender assassinated in 2015. Standing at his grave, she told Global Witness that “the pain remains, but so does the need to fight for justice.”
Deadliest industries
The report identified mining and extractive industries as the deadliest sector in 2024, linked to 29 killings. Logging accounted for 8 deaths, agribusiness 4, and infrastructure projects 2. One case was connected to hydropower, while poaching was tied to another.
A third of all those killed or disappeared were Indigenous people defending ancestral lands. Others included farmers, rangers, journalists, and lawyers.
“These attacks don’t just silence individuals,” Furones said. “They devastate entire communities, tear apart families, and undermine global human rights efforts.”
Calls for action
The report stressed that underreporting remains a serious issue, especially in Asia and Africa. Many killings go undocumented due to conflict zones, weak institutions, and lack of media coverage.
Rachel Cox, a project lead at Global Witness, said governments are failing to protect defenders. “States across the world are weaponizing their legal systems to silence those speaking out in defense of our planet,” she said. “Meanwhile, governments are failing to hold those responsible for attacks to account, spurring the cycle of killings with little consequence.”
Global Witness urged world leaders to prioritize protection for environmental defenders at the United Nations climate summit, COP30, scheduled for Belém, Brazil, in 2025.
“The protection and meaningful participation of land and environmental defenders at COP30 and beyond is essential,” the report said. “Without them, we cannot hope to address the climate crisis.”
The decline from 196 killings in 2023 to 142 in 2024 does not mean conditions have improved. Global Witness emphasized that the violence remains widespread and systematic.
“Standing up to injustice should never be a death sentence,” Furones said. “If we turn our backs on defenders, we forfeit our future.”
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