A study by the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia warns that environmental defenders on the front line of the conflict over natural resources are being killed at an alarming rateas the number of countries where it happens is also growing.
According to Dr Nathalie Butt, a researcher at UQ’s School of Biological Sciences, the 1,558 deaths registered between 2002 and 2017 were largely due to external demand for the very resources they were trying to protect.
“It can be anyone: community activists, lawyers, journalists, members of social movements, NGO staff and indigenous peoples, anyone who resists violence. And what is more important, indigenous peoples are dying in greater numbers than any other group“
“The number of reported deaths of environmental defenders has increased, as has the number of countries where they occur. Environmental defenders help protect land, forests, water and other natural resources“, he pointed.
“It can be anyone: community activists, lawyers, journalists, members of social movements, NGO staff and indigenous peoples, anyone who resists violence. And what is more important, indigenous peoples are dying in greater numbers than any other group“, Add.
Conflict over natural resources
The reasons for the fatal violence are mainly related to the conflict over natural resources, such as water, timber, land for agriculture, development or minerals.
One third of all deaths between 2014 and 2017, more than 230, were related to the mining and agribusiness sectors. “Although conflict over natural resources is the underlying cause of violence, spatial analyzes showed that corruption was the key correlate of the murders“, details Dr. Butt.
In Pau D’Arco, Brazil, police killed ten land defenders in May 2017.
“Globally, 43% of all murders result in a conviction, while for environmental defenders this figure is only 10%. In many cases, weak rule of law means that cases in many countries are not properly investigated, and sometimes the police or the authorities themselves are responsible for the violence. For example, in Pau D’Arco, Brazil, the police killed ten land defenders in May 2017,” denounces the researcher.
The role of consumers
Faced with this situation, Dr. Butt claims more transparency and accountability of multinational companies and governments, and consumer awareness.
“As consumers in rich countries, who are effectively outsourcing our consumption of resources, we share the responsibility for what is happening.. Businesses, investors and national governments at both ends of the chain of violence must be more accountable.”
“The ecology of the planet is essential for the production of food and resources, on which we all depend, and we are obliged to support it, otherwise they will run out. Part of this support is protect the people who protect you“.
“As consumers in rich countries, who are effectively outsourcing our consumption of resources, we share the responsibility for what is happening.. Companies, investors and national governments at both ends of the chain of violence need to be more responsible,” he concludes.