The Protection of Environmental Defenders dimension was assessed on the basis of 26 indicators. They analyzed the existence of specific protection programs, a dedicated budget, transparent and participatory governance, protocols for action and training for public security agents, reporting mechanisms, among others.
This was the dimension with the worst performance in the Environmental Democracy Index. The majority of state governments in the Legal Amazon do not even have a minimum structure aimed at protecting environmental defenders, such as dedicated teams, specific regulations or adequate reporting channels.
The region's average was just 11.8 points - a "very bad" rating. Mato Grosso (29.3) and Maranhão (28.4) were the best-placed states, but still with a "bad" rating. Tocantins, Roraima, Acre and Rondônia scored less than 4 points. The Federal Executive, meanwhile, achieved 58.7 points - a "fair" rating.
Among the critical indicators, there is also the near absence of evaluated entities that monitor acts of violence against journalists, with protocols for the actions of public security agents in cases involving defenders and the use of body cameras in environmental or land conflicts.
The IDA is an initiative of the Centro de Vida Institute and Transparency International - Brazil, with financial support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
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