Almost four environmental defenders a week killed in 2017
by Jonathan Watts from on (#3EXG6)
Exclusive: 197 people killed last year for defending land, wildlife or natural resources, new Global Witness data reveals. In recording every defender's death, the Guardian hopes to raise awareness of the deadly struggle on the environmental frontline
The slaughter of people defending their land or environment continued unabated in 2017, with new research showing almost four people a week were killed worldwide in struggles against mines, plantations, poachers and infrastructure projects.
The toll of 197 in 2017 - which has risen fourfold since it was first compiled in 2002 - underscores the violence on the frontiers of a global economy driven by expansion and consumption.