Killing of Environmental Defenders Reflects Power Struggle Over World’s Resources
A new report by Global Witness reveals that at least 124 environmental defenders were killed in 2025 while protecting natural resources. While the number of deaths has slightly decreased, the report warns that violence against activists remains a systemic issue.
Why it matters
The ongoing violence against environmental activists underscores the dangerous power struggle over land and resources globally.
LONDON & SRINAGAR, India, September 16 (IPS) - At least 124 land and environmental defenders were killed around the world in 2025 while protecting forests, rivers, farmland and Indigenous territories, according to a new report by Global Witness that warns violence against activists remains widespread even as recorded killings have declined from previous years.
The report, titled Collective Power, documents the deaths of people who stood against environmental destruction, land grabs, illegal logging, mining projects and other threats to their communities. It says the 124 killings recorded in 2025 bring the total number of land and environmental defenders killed or disappeared since Global Witness began tracking such cases in 2012 to 2,375.
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