New Global Witness report says 146 land and environmental defenders killed or disappeared globally in 2024

A new report by the Global Witness says about 146 activists working to protect land and the environment have been killed or disappeared in 2024.

The annual report, titled ‘Roots of Resistance’, published today September 17, 2025 and copied to Ghana Business News, states that the total number of land and environmental defenders killed or disappeared from 2012 to 2024 now comes to at least 2,253.

The investigative organisation documented 117 defender killings last year (82%) in Latin America, with 48 in Colombia, which had the most killings globally for the third year in a row. This is followed by Guatemala, where 20 defenders were killed in 2024 – up from four in 2023.

The report also showed that at least 18 defenders were killed in Mexico and at least 12 in Brazil. The Philippines recorded seven killings, while Honduras and Indonesia recorded five killings each.

A total of four defenders were disappeared in 2024 and have not been found: one in Chile, one in Honduras, one in Mexico and one in the Philippines, it said.

“Once again, Indigenous Peoples were victims of around a third of lethal attacks, despite making up around 6% of the global population,” the report said.

The lead author of the report, Laura Furones says: “Year after year, land and environmental defenders – those protecting our forests, rivers, and lands across the world – continue to be met with unspeakable violence. They are being hunted, harassed, and killed – not for breaking laws, but for defending life itself.”

“Standing up to injustice should never be a death sentence. It is critical that governments and companies turn the tide to uphold defenders’ rights and protect them rather than persecute them. We desperately need defenders to keep our planet safe. If we turn our backs on them, we forfeit our future,” she added.

Commenting on the report, a Colombian defender, Jani Silva said: “As this report shows, the vast majority of defenders under attack are not defenders by choice – including myself. We are defenders because our homes, land, communities and lives are under theat. So much more must be done to ensure communities have rights and that those who stand up for them are protected.”

The report indicates that while the statistics on killings and disappearances last year are lower than in 2023 (196 compared to 146), alternative tactics to silence defenders appear to be on the rise globally, such as abductions and criminalisation.

“States across the world are weaponizing their legal systems to silence those speaking out in defence of our planet. Amid rampant resource use, escalating environmental pressure, and a rapidly closing window to limit warming to 1.5C, they are treating land and environmental defenders like they are a major inconvenience instead of canaries in a coal mine about to explode,” said Campaigner Rachel Cox, Global Witness Senior Campaigner.

“Meanwhile, governments are failing to hold those responsible for defender attacks to account – spurring the cycle of killings with little consequence. World leaders must acknowledge the role they must play in ending this once and for all,” she adds.

Global Witness urges governments to dismantle the multilayered systems that enable violence against defenders to continue, such as addressing the lack of rights defenders have over land and territory, strengthening weak national legal systems, and ensuring defenders at risk are given adequate state protection – with the report highlighting these issues within its case studies.

By Emmanuel K Dogbevi

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