124 Environmental Defenders Were Killed in 2025
Global Witness data shows a decline from 146 deaths in 2024, though violence against land activists remains widespread.
Updated on Sept. 20, 2026 in Environmental
Global Witness documented 124 murders of land and environmental defenders worldwide during 2025. This figure marks a decrease from the 146 killings recorded in 2024.
Why it matters
Environmental defenders often face lethal threats from organized crime syndicates and illegal mining groups competing for territorial control. Indigenous communities frequently bear the brunt of this violence while working to protect their ancestral lands.
In 2025, Colombia recorded 39 killings and Brazil logged 26, while the Philippines saw 12 deaths. Latin America has accounted for 85% of all documented killings of these defenders since Global Witness began tracking the issue in 2012.
The players
Global Witness
This international non-governmental organization investigates and campaigns against human rights abuses and corruption linked to natural resource exploitation.
The details
Land disputes often involve contract killers hired by groups vying for control over illicit activities like mining and coca cultivation. In response to these dangers, many indigenous communities have established unarmed protection networks, known as indigenous guards, to monitor their territory.
Timeline
Global Witness began tracking environmental activist murders in 2012.
146 environmental defender killings were documented worldwide in 2024.
124 environmental defender killings were documented worldwide in 2025.
The Big Picture
This data update follows the precedent set by the 2012 launch of the Global Witness environmental defender tracking project. The report provides critical insight into how territorial conflicts evolve, marking a departure from the higher mortality rates observed throughout the prior decade.
Heightened awareness of these patterns aids international human rights organizations in directing resources toward vulnerable indigenous territories. Understanding these regional hotspots may also influence global policy pressure regarding supply chain transparency and land-use protections.
The takeaway
The sustained violence against those protecting the environment highlights the lethal stakes of global resource extraction and land governance. Implementing support for grassroots indigenous protection networks is often the primary strategy for mitigating immediate threats in high-risk regions.
Further reading
Learn more about ongoing advocacy and monitoring in our Environmental section.
