Environmental Protectors Facing Danger in 2020
In 2020, at least 212 environmental and land defenders were killed worldwide, according to Global Witness. These defenders faced extreme risks, including violence, threats, abductions, criminalization, and silencing. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these risks, limiting defenders’ ability to organize, increasing their vulnerability to attacks, and impairing access to justice and support networks.
The killings were not limited to a specific region. Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil were highlighted as deadly hotspots, but defenders faced threats in countries around the world. For instance, Fikile Ntshangase, a 65-year-old grandmother in Ophondweni, South Africa, was killed in October 2020 for opposing a coal mine expansion near her home.
The risks faced by these defenders are not just physical. They also face online abuse, such as cyberattacks, doxxing, and harassment. The shift to more online organizing amid the pandemic increased exposure to digital threats, which in turn has led to real-world harms and decreased activists’ ability to continue their work effectively.
The pandemic generated additional challenges by restricting movement, weakening community mobilization, and allowing governments and corporations to intensify extractive activities with less oversight, further endangering defenders.
The report by Global Witness noted that many more endured abduction, criminal charges, and threats. Additional sources report similar figures, with a general trend of around 200 deaths annually in recent years.
The rest of the world was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, leading to human rights campaigns against anti-Blackness in other countries. Many Indigenous communities followed the example set by Black Lives Matter, while others organized around LGBTQ and women's rights.
However, it is important to remember that the colonialist history that puts dark-skinned Indigenous people at risk around the world. This is especially true when saying Black Lives Matter, as it is crucial to acknowledge the global risks faced by Indigenous people defending their land and environment.
Incarceration, physical violence, and online harassment were other threats faced by environmental land defenders in 2020. In countries with scarce internet access, the inability to connect online posed a challenge for environmental land defenders.
The coal mine's proximity to the country's oldest nature reserve is a cause for concern, as it may contribute to poaching of endangered white rhinos in the region.
Online capacity building had to be carried out in much shorter bursts over longer periods of time due to the challenges posed by the pandemic. Despite these challenges, environmental land defenders continue to fight for their rights and the protection of the environment.
A report released last week by Front Line Defenders outlines the killings of global human rights defenders in 2020. At least 331 human rights defenders were killed in 2020, with 69% focusing on land, Indigenous, and environmental issues.
Black Lives Matter organizers and supporters took to the streets in historic numbers in the U.S. in 2020. Many Indigenous communities followed the example set by Black Lives Matter, demonstrating the global impact of the movement.
In conclusion, 2020 was a dangerous year for environmental defenders, reflecting both longstanding conflicts over land and natural resources and new vulnerabilities linked to the pandemic’s social and political impacts. It is crucial to continue supporting these defenders in their efforts to protect the environment and Indigenous rights worldwide.
- The report by Front Line Defenders revealed that at least 331 human rights defenders were killed in 2020, with 69% focusing on land, Indigenous, and environmental issues, similar to figures reported by other sources.
- The killings of environmental and land defenders extended far beyond specific regions, with Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil identified as hotspots, but threats facing defenders present in countries worldwide.
- In addition to physical threats, defenders faced online abuse, including cyberattacks, doxxing, and harassment, which increased with the shift to more online organizing during the pandemic.
- Incarceration, physical violence, and online harassment were some of the threats faced by environmental land defenders in 2020, and the inability to connect online posed a challenge for those in countries with scarce internet access.
- The Black Lives Matter movement served as inspiration for human rights campaigns against anti-Blackness in other countries, with many Indigenous communities following the movement's example while organizing around LGBTQ and women's rights.
- Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and increased online threats, environmental land defenders continue to fight effectively for their rights and the protection of the environment worldwide.
- The pandemic exacerbated risks faced by defenders, limiting their ability to organize, increasing their vulnerability to attacks, and impairing access to justice and support networks, making it even more crucial to continue supporting them.
