Philippines is the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders, report finds
The Philippines remains the deadliest country in Asia for land and environmental defenders, according to a new report by the non-profit Global Witness. In its report, Global Witness says it could verify the killings of 124 land and environmental defenders worldwide in 2025. While the majority, 85% of cases, occurred in Latin America, Asia accounted […]
The Philippines is the most lethal country in Asia for environmental and land defenders, according to a new report by Global Witness, a non-profit organization. In 2025, the report documented 124 such killings worldwide, with 12 occurring in the Philippines and one each in India, Indonesia, and Turkey. The Philippines has seen the highest number of deaths in this category for the past 13 years.
State forces, particularly the Philippine military, are implicated in five of the 12 killings, amid intensified rural counterinsurgency operations and resource extraction initiatives. Manila-based environmental group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (PNE) stated that the report underscores the entrenched role of state policies and structures in facilitating extractive and development projects, which directly impact land and environmental defenders.
Beyond lethal violence, environmental advocates also face extensive legal harassment, criminalization, and smear campaigns. The report emphasizes that such lethal violence represents the most extreme form of reprisal faced by these defenders.
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