In the face of a global climate crisis with severe floods, droughts and wildfires, a record number of land and environmental activists were murdered last year.
According to a Global Witness report, 227 people were killed for defending their land and the planet, marking the highest number recorded for a second-consecutive year.
The report documented 18 killings across Africa last year, compared with seven the previous year, with 15 murders happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo, two in South Africa and one in Uganda.
Colombia recorded the highest number of attacks, at 65, with a third of the victims being indigenous or Afro-descendants.
“On average, our data shows that four defenders have been killed every week since the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement,” the Global Witness said.
It…
