'My life is threatened every day because of my activism': environmental leaders appeal at COP16

In a world where the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity are at the centre of the global debate, there is a silent struggle that continues unabated: the struggle of environmental defenders. These often invisible people are the guardians of ecosystems, natural resources and vulnerable communities. But their work comes at a devastating cost: the constant risk of being persecuted, threatened and even killed. According to several reports by the British NGO Global Witness, Colombia, the host country of COP16, is one of the most dangerous places in the world for environmental defenders.

(Lea esta historia en español, aquí)

In September 2022, indigenous activists Mbuthuma and Sinegugu Zukulu stopped destructive seismic testing for oil and gas off South Africa's Eastern Cape, in an area known as the Wild Coast. By organising their community, Nonhle and Sinegugu won a victory by asserting the local community's right to protect their marine environment. By stopping oil and gas exploration in an area of high biodiversity, they protected migrating whales, dolphins and other animals from the harmful effects of seismic testing.

In an interview with EL TIEMPO, Mbuthuma says that the world's problem is economic, not environmental, and that only a change in the way the economy works can help protect the environment.

Yes, I am an activist fighting against extractivism in South Africa. I know that my life is threatened every day. And we have the experience of a colleague of ours who was murdered in 2016 and justice has not been done to this day. Yes, I receive quite a few death threats myself, verbally or through text messages or other means. But that doesn't mean that these threats change my convictions or that I stop fighting for the environment.

Yes, I think the world is taking steps to protect human rights defenders. For example, what Global Witness has done by publishing this report. It's a way of taking action to expose all the things that are happening to human rights defenders, which is very good. In 2023, 1,096 land and environmental defenders were killed, which is a very negative number for the world. And we hope that the indicator will change. That the number goes down, not up.

I have been here in Colombia, but the only people I have talked to are the citizens, to know in detail their stories and how difficult it is to be a human rights defender in this country. But when it comes to government officials, it is very difficult to get access to them. They are not available. They are too far away from the people. So it has not been possible to talk to government officials in Colombia. And we hope that the design of the COP will be changed so that there is not one room for civil society and one room for the government. We need each other. We need to talk to each other. If the design remains the same, it means that our discussion at the COP will always be the same.

EDWIN CAICEDO

Environment and Health Journalist

@CaicedoUcros