Environmental and land defenders faced unprecedented threats during 2025, with 124 killings documented by the independent monitoring organization Global Witness. This death toll equates to approximately one defender murdered every three days. The violence was frequently connected to organized crime operations, with professional criminal groups implicated in more than one-third of the killings. Latin America bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 85 percent of global deaths among defenders of forests, rivers and other natural areas.
Colombia experienced the highest number of fatalities with 39 deaths, followed by Brazil with 26 and Honduras with 12. In the Asian region, the Philippines emerged as the most dangerous location for defenders, recording 12 killings, many occurring during operations by state security forces. Since Global Witness initiated its documentation efforts in 2012, the cumulative toll has reached 2,375 deaths and disappearances. While figures have declined from 196 deaths in 2023 and 142 in 2024, researchers note that actual numbers may be substantially higher due to data collection difficulties in conflict zones and countries with restricted freedoms.
The killings predominantly targeted Indigenous people and small-scale farmers protecting ancestral lands and ecosystems. Illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, coca production and narcotics smuggling operations have increasingly overlapped with incursions into protected territories. Facing diminished international support—partly due to reductions in development assistance—many Indigenous communities have begun establishing their own territorial defence mechanisms. The Kakataibo Indigenous Guard in Peru exemplifies this trend, expanding from dozens of volunteers in 2022 to over 150 members operating from 10 bases throughout the Amazon region.
These self-defence initiatives carry substantial risks, with at least seven Indigenous guard members killed in 2025, with organized crime implicated in at least five cases. Criminal organizations engaged in narcotics trafficking have expanded their operations into remote forest regions, establishing illegal routes and infrastructure while corrupting local officials. Authorities have intensified military responses to drug trafficking, which experts warn may be pushing criminal networks deeper into Indigenous territories. Global Witness and defenders themselves have called for governments to support rather than obstruct protection efforts, recognizing such defenders as essential monitors of environmental destruction and ecosystem health.
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