In the last decade, Indigenous Peoples and local communities have made astounding headway in raising awareness at the international level of the critical role they play in safeguarding the world’s forests and other ecosystems. At the same time, environmental defenders face high rates of criminalization, physical violence, and assassinations.  
Indigenous Peoples and local communities are often among the most likely groups to mobilize for environmental protection, and face even higher rates of criminalization, violence, and assassinations than other groups. In a systematic mapping of resistance movements, violence was most common over projects related to hydropower, biomass, pipelines, and coal extraction. 
At least 177 land and environmental defenders were killed in 2022, according to Global Witness, and the agribusiness and mining and extractives sectors are ranked as the deadliest for defenders. Some killings are even facilitated by governments through systematic and deliberate suppression of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and grassroots environmentalists, justifying their actions through legal mechanisms such as penal laws and anti-terrorist legislations.  

In the last decade, Indigenous Peoples and local communities have made astounding headway in raising awareness at the international level of the critical role they play in safeguarding the world’s forests and other ecosystems. At the same time, environmental defenders face high rates of criminalization, physical violence, and assassinations.  
Indigenous Peoples and local communities are often among the most likely groups to mobilize for environmental protection, and face even higher rates of criminalization, violence, and assassinations than other groups. In a systematic mapping of resistance movements, violence was most common over projects related to hydropower, biomass, pipelines, and coal extraction. 
At least 177 land and environmental defenders were killed in 2022, according to Global Witness, and the agribusiness and mining and extractives sectors are ranked as the deadliest for defenders. Some killings are even facilitated by governments through systematic and deliberate suppression of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and grassroots environmentalists, justifying their actions through legal mechanisms such as penal laws and anti-terrorist legislations.