On the 28th of October, away from the bustle and tepid negotiations taking place in the Blue Zone at COP16, Earthrise Studio and Global Witness, in collaboration with Más Arte Más Acción, Siembra, and Cuerpo Colegiado de Guardianes Del Atrato, convened a group at Nature House.
The purpose? To hear and learn from Colombian environmental defenders from the northwest region of Atrato, home to the Atrato River, who put their lives on the line each day to protect their land.
Bravery, resilience and a deep connection with nature ran through their stories.
Attention and dedication to COP16’s theme ‘paz con la naturaleza’, peace with nature, is much needed. Even more so now that the conference has ended.
Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries for land and environmental defenders. Those who speak out against extractive practices and industries linked to deforestation, pollution and land grabbing have had their voices erased, according to investigations conducted by Global Witness.
What’s happening to environmental defenders? In numbers
- An estimated 196 land and environmental defenders were killed in 2023 around the world
- New figures take the total number of defenders killed between 2012 to 2023 to 2,106
- For the second year running, Colombia had the highest number of killings worldwide – with a record 79 defenders killed last year, followed by Brazil (25), Mexico (18) and Honduras (18)
- Latin America had the highest number of recorded killings worldwide, with 166 killings overall – 54 killings across Mexico and Central America and 112 in South America
- Environmental defenders are being increasingly subject to a range of tactics for silencing those who speak out for the planet across Asia, the UK, EU and US
Source: Global Witness
Reflections & stories from the environmental defenders of the Atrato River
The Atrato River spans the departments of Chocó and Antioquia and is described as a complex territory by the Minority Rights Group as Indigenous, Afro-descendant and mestizo communities all reside there.
Perched around a wooden table constructed from a local tree and hard carved with the contours of the Atrato River, we heard from 5 of the 14 environmental defenders of the Atrato region.
Bernardino Mosquera Palacios, Maryury Mosquera, Luz Enith Mosquera, Kenyi Paolo Pérez and Jesús Antonio Pinilla Berrío.
What does the Atrato River mean to the environmental defenders? Quite simply, life. The defenders spoke of how the value of the river knows no limits. It intertwines with cultural aspects. To protect the river is to protect the lives of their community. It has spiritual value too, they shared. Water at the centre of the river is renowned for its healing properties. Bernadino commented that there is an “insoluble marriage between territory and the river.”
The Atrato region has faced environmental degradation, civil war and drug violence in recent times. To protect the natural and cultural diversity of the area, in 2016, the Colombian Constitutional Court ordered its protection. Judgement T-622 marks the adoption of decisions to curb pollution and the illegal mining of gold.
What did the landmark ruling mean for the defenders and their communities? They recounted how legal protection was paramount in giving them a mandate to protect the river and to ensure they always have a seat at the decision-making table.
Translating the T-622 and its 162 pages of text to their communities, some of whom cannot read, required fresh approaches to information sharing. Jesús relayed methods of how they democratised the information. Through music, dance and chants, they created 37 verses for the local community to learn. Again, highlights the interconnection between environmental and cultural preservation.
Oscar Francisco Puerta Luchini, a representative from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development was present at the roundtable. “The government is not used to horizontal structures and feedback loops. It’s used to dictating,” he commented. That’s why asking important questions such as; how can we enforce legal representation? How can we include the community? What is the role of government in protecting the rights of people and the environment?, are all critical areas to cover.
With the knowledge that the number of killings of environmental defenders has doubled in the last 2 years, understanding their safety context is critical.
Extractive industries and illegal miners have invaded the top and the north of the Atrato River. Whilst the T-622 is symbolic in recognising the environmental value of the area, the threat of illegal mining has not improved, the defenders said.
Ultimately, corporate interests still prevail. Economic actors and the armed forces are who the defenders perceive to be their biggest threat.
Credit: Joe Short
How can progress on Article 8J of the Global Biodiversity Framework help?
We talked collectively about goals for COP16. Poignantly, one of the defenders, Luz, underlined the need for recognition of Afro-descendent communities. As it stands, 30% of the defenders of the Atrato River are from Afro dissent.
That’s why the historic news announced on the 2nd of November that global leaders had reached an agreement to recognise Afro-descendant peoples as indispensable partners in biodiversity and climate initiatives must be celebrated. Article 8j recognises their roles in biodiversity preservation and ecosystem health.
Throughout the conference, reaching such a decision looked unlikely. Bloomberg NEF’s expectations on progress towards the implementation of Article 8j were 4 to 10 as of the 22nd of October. On the 31st of October, the Geledés – Institute of Black Women issued a statement condemning the EU for momentarily blocking the recognition and rights of the Afro-descendent community.
But ultimately success of Article 8j prevailed. Alongside encouraging parties and stakeholders to provide financial support and capacity-building for Afro-descendant peoples on a voluntary basis, it encourages parties to communicate in their NBSAPs the contributions of Afro-descendant peoples to the implementation of the CBD and the GBF. Read more on this via Carbon Brief.
Esther Ojulari, Programs Director for the Baobab Center for Innovation in Ethnic-Racial, Gender, and Environmental Justice, commented that “The decision is not only a win for global conservation but a powerful step forward for racial justice and reparations for Afro-descendant peoples. By formally recognizing Afro-descendants as key stakeholders, COP16 acknowledges both the historical injustices we have endured and the critical role we play in preserving biodiversity through traditional knowledge and practices.”
Before I landed in Cali, wandering around an exhibition in the Museum of Modern Art in Medellin, ‘The Space Between at the Visions of Indigenous Art Across the Globe’, I found this quote which aptly summarises the stories from the heroic defenders of the Atrato river and the tangential developments at COP16:
“Either you listen to all the voices of all other beings that inhabit the planet with you, or you make war on life.”
Ailton Krenak, Indigenous writer & journalist from Brazil
Read the full Global Witness Annual Defenders Report for 2023/2024 here.
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Written with special thanks to : Joi Lee – Head of Editorial, Earthrise Studio, Isabella Noero – Head of Collaborative Partnerships, Earthrise Studio, Molly Robson – Communications Advisor, Global Witness, Fernando Arias + curator Jonathan Collin (Más Arte, Más Acción), Miguel Navas
Photo credits: Joe Short
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