Global Surge in Suspicious Deaths of Environmental Defenders, Global Witness Reports

September 18, 2025

LONDON — A chilling pattern of violence against environmental and land defenders continues to escalate, with Global Witness documenting 196 killings and numerous enforced disappearances in 2023 alone, according to their latest annual report, Missing Voices. Since 2012, over 2,100 defenders—individuals protecting forests, rivers, and indigenous lands from extractive industries—have been killed globally, with Latin America accounting for over two-thirds of cases. The organization warns that these figures, already staggering, are likely underreported due to censorship, conflict, and lack of press freedom.

A Deadly Year for Defenders
The 2023 report, released by Global Witness, underscores Colombia as the deadliest country, with 79 defenders killed, a sharp rise from 60 in 2022. Mining and illegal economies, including drug trafficking, were primary drivers of violence. Central America, particularly Honduras, emerged as a new hotspot, recording the highest per capita killings. Indigenous communities remain disproportionately targeted, comprising a third of victims despite being a small fraction of the global population.

“For over a decade, we’ve tracked a relentless wave of killings,” said Laura Furones, senior advisor at Global Witness. “These are not isolated incidents but a systemic attack on those defending our planet’s critical ecosystems.”

Suspicious Deaths and Disappearances
Many deaths are shrouded in suspicion, marked by assassinations, unexplained circumstances, or disappearances. In Mexico, human rights lawyer Ricardo Arturo Lagunes Gasca and Indigenous leader Antonio Díaz Valencia vanished in 2023 after opposing a mining project. Their case remains unresolved, reflecting a broader trend of enforced disappearances now tracked separately by Global Witness.

Historical cases echo this pattern. In 2018, Iranian academic Kavous Seyed-Emami died in prison under dubious circumstances, officially labeled a suicide, after his arrest on fabricated spying charges tied to cheetah conservation. In Kenya, Joannah Wairimu was shot dead in 2021 following her campaign against forest destruction in Kiambu, her murder still unsolved. Similarly, Irma Galindo Barrios, a Mexican defender, disappeared in 2021 after years of threats for opposing illegal logging.

High-profile cases like the 2016 murder of Honduran activist Berta Cáceres, whose perpetrator was convicted in 2021, and the 2022 killings of Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips in the Amazon highlight the global scope of the crisis. “These defenders are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, protecting carbon sinks like the Amazon, yet they face near-total impunity,” Furones noted, citing a 94% rate of unresolved cases.

Systemic Drivers of Violence
Global Witness links the killings to industries like mining, logging, and agribusiness, which often operate in resource-rich, indigenous-held lands. The 2023 report notes a 10% increase in mining-related deaths, with 50% of 2019 killings tied to this sector. Logging-related deaths have also surged, up 85% since 2018. Governments and corporations are frequently complicit, either through inaction or by labeling defenders as “enemies of the state,” as seen in Iran and the Philippines.

The climate stakes are high. Defenders protect ecosystems critical to carbon sequestration, yet only 0.9% of cases see justice, perpetuating cycles of violence. “These attacks are not just human rights violations; they undermine global climate goals,” said Furones.

Calls for Action
Global Witness urges immediate action:
– Governments must investigate attacks, enforce protective laws, and recognize defenders’ role in climate mitigation.
– Corporations should conduct human rights due diligence and sever ties with projects linked to violence.
– International Community should bolster support for indigenous rights and anti-impunity measures.

The organization also calls for greater transparency in tracking disappearances, which are often excluded from official counts. Their 2024 report, Missing Voices, marks the first time killings and disappearances have been reported separately, revealing the true scale of the crisis.

A Global Crisis Demanding Attention
As the climate crisis intensifies, so does the peril faced by those defending the planet. From Colombia’s conflict-ridden forests to Honduras’ indigenous territories, the suspicious deaths of environmentalists signal a deeper failure to protect both people and the environment.

“This is a global emergency,” Furones said. “Without defenders, we lose not just lives but the fight for a sustainable future.”

For more information, contact Global Witness at media@globalwitness.org.