The Environmental Democracy Index (IDA) prepared by the Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV) and Transparência Internacional Brasil presents the levels of transparency and protection for environmental defenders in the Legal Amazon. In the most recent survey, launched on Thursday (2/7), the Union obtained 70.7 points, out of a total of 100, a level assessed as “good”. However, among the nine Amazonian states, four were in the “regular” level (between 40 and 59.9 points), and five were in the “bad” classification (20 to 39.9 points). Which shows the negligence of the federation units with the issue.
Protection of environmental defenders is critical in the Legal Amazon, shows IDA
The Environmental Democracy Index (IDA) prepared by the Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV) and Transparência Internacional Brasil presents the levels of transparency and protection for environmental defenders in the Legal...
The average for the states was 40.8 points, reports O Globo. The best scores were from Mato Grosso (56.7 points), Pará (55.3) and Amazonas (43.8). Maranhão, with 41.9 points, completes the “regular” evaluation list. At the poor level are Tocantins (39.6), Rondônia (36.2), Amapá (35.8), Acre (35.5) and Roraima (22.8) – the latter very close to the “terrible” classification, from zero to 19.9 points.
120 indicators were analyzed to measure how states and the Union guarantee effective, fair and inclusive socio-environmental governance and contribute to the protection of socio-environmental rights. The research shows that the most critical of these is the protection of environmental defenders, with an average of 15.1 points among the states of the Legal Amazon.
Roraima recorded the worst performance in this regard (0.8 points), followed by Acre (2.9), Rondônia (5.4) and Tocantins (5.7). Only three states – Mato Grosso, Maranhão and Pará – have protection mechanisms for environmental defenders.
In the Real Amazon, Olivia Ainbinder, lawyer and coordinator of the Socio-Environmental Integrity Program at Transparency International Brazil, states that the data reveals the little institutionalization of the protection agenda for environmental activists in the Legal Amazon. Most states do not have a framework to prevent risks, protect people and respond appropriately to situations of violence, he reinforces.
To change this scenario, the IDA recommends the approval, by the Federal Senate, of the Escazú Agreement – the first environmental treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean and the only one in the world to contain specific provisions for the protection of environmental defenders. Furthermore, it recommends strengthening protection programs for environmental defenders at federal and state levels in the Amazon; the improvement of social participation instruments on environmental issues; and the creation and reinforcement of specialized structures in the environment, land issues and Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities in the Judiciary, Public Prosecutor's Office, Public Defender's Offices and police.
Source: ClimaInfo
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