What the COVID-19 lockdowns mean for environmental defenders

The document argues that COVID-19 lockdowns have provided a cover for governments and private entities to suppress environmental and land defenders through harassment, arrests, and the enactment of restrictive laws. It highlights specific instances of repression in the DRC, Uganda, and South Africa, noting that the suspension of normal administrative and judicial functions has limited access to justice and transparency. To counter these threats, the guide recommends that defenders shift toward online engagement, creative protest methods, and encrypted communication, while leveraging regional movements and emergency funds like the African Environmental Defenders’ Fund.

• COVID-19 lockdowns have been leveraged by local authorities and security forces to suppress land defenders, with specific reports of harassment in the DRC's equator region, arrests and evictions in Uganda, and death threats against a community activist in northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
• The pandemic has created a conducive environment for rights violations by restricting access to justice through the closure of courts and administrative institutions, disrupting security protocols, and reducing transparency and accountability in government and business.
• Environmental defenders globally are facing an increase in specific threats including physical violence, killings, political intimidation, increased digital surveillance, and the enactment of draconian laws that undermine the rights of marginalised and indigenous communities.
• To maintain activism during lockdowns, defenders are encouraged to adopt innovative strategies such as using social media and WhatsApp for communication, employing photography and video for protests, and utilizing the African Environmental Defenders’ Fund for emergency support.

APA

Martens, C. (2020). What the COVID-19 lockdowns mean for environmental defenders. Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/what-the-covid-19-lockdowns-mean-for-environmental-defenders/

Chicago

Martens, Claire. What the COVID-19 lockdowns mean for environmental defenders. Natural Justice, 2020. https://naturaljustice.org/what-the-covid-19-lockdowns-mean-for-environmental-defenders/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martens |first1=Claire |title=What the COVID-19 lockdowns mean for environmental defenders |publisher=Natural Justice |date=13 May 2020 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/what-the-covid-19-lockdowns-mean-for-environmental-defenders/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martens2020what, author = {Martens, Claire}, title = {{What the COVID-19 lockdowns mean for environmental defenders}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/what-the-covid-19-lockdowns-mean-for-environmental-defenders/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }