AFRICAN ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS
African Environmental Defenders play an important role in protecting their lands and ecosystems from unsustainable industrial development, logging and extractive projects. However, the nature of their work can expose them to significant risks because of the political and monetary powers they stand up against.
Recent reports have consistently affirmed the rise of a “global crisis” of indiscriminate attacks against environmental and human rights defenders, especially indigenous peoples and women. Global Witness, through a report released in 2017, established that 207 land and environmental defenders were killed while fighting to secure their lands and territories of life. The ever-increasing incidents of attacks against environmental defenders is proof of the need to protect defenders who, individually or with others, risk their lives in the struggle for their lands and natural resources.