Considering the current social-ecological crises, initiatives that tackle the political and economic root causes of nature destruction, climate change and pollution are critical. DEFEND-BIO project advances the knowledge frontier by focusing on understanding and catalyzing solutions nurtured and prioritized by human rights defenders in environmental matters (biosphere defenders) —individuals and groups on the frontlines of ecosystem protection—who safeguard biodiversity and the benefits it provides to people and to all forms of life. By advancing legal and policy relevant research, DEFEND-BIO aims to support sustainability transformations for present and future generations to thrive. Leveraging interdisciplinary expertise in law, politics, development, geography, and trade, the project uncovers opportunities and challenges within legislative and policy frameworks. Centred on Latin America and the Caribbean, and their interactions with Europe, DEFEND-BIO contributes to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, international human rights treaties and the Escazu Agreement in an interconnected world.

DEFEND-BIO objectives:

Considering the current social-ecological crises, it is critical to support initiatives that tackle the political and economic root causes of nature destruction, climate change and pollution. DEFEND-BIO project focuses on solutions nurtured and prioritized by biosphere defenders —individuals and groups on the frontlines of ecosystem protection—who safeguard biodiversity and the benefits it provides to people and to all forms of life. By supporting the strategies of biosphere defenders and fostering an environment that empowers their work, DEFEND-BIO aims to support sustainability transformations for present and future generations to thrive. Leveraging interdisciplinary expertise in law, politics, development, geography, and trade, the project uncovers opportunities and challenges within legislative and policy frameworks. Centered on Latin America and the Caribbean, and their interactions with Europe, DEFEND-BIO contributes to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, international human rights treaties and the Escazu Agreement in an interconnected world.

• Investigating how biosphere defenders use legal and governance mechanisms for nature stewardship and climate adaptation.
• Empowering defenders with legal tools and strategies to advance environmental human rights, particularly in the context of the Escazú Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• Creating enabling environments for defenders to scale out locally-led nature-based solutions and scale-up impact at regional and global levels to support environmental democracy, human rights and sustainability transformations.

Main activities:

• Investigating the mechanisms within international law that support the practical work of biosphere defenders, with a specific focus on the Escazú Agreement and the Inter-American Human Rights System.
• Examining the EU directives on value chains and finance that have a transboundary impact in Latin America and the Caribbean, analyzing how the implementation of EU legislation can support biosphere defenders and the practical effects of having additional legal empowerment tools.
• Studying the impacts of national-level litigation to protect nature in Latin American and Caribbean countries that host critical transboundary ecosystems, such as the Amazon and the Chocó rainforests. Special attention is given to litigation related to the regulation of global value chains (GVCs) to hold transnational corporations accountable.
• Developing legal empowerment tools and a model law designed to support advocates and biosphere defenders across various jurisdictions in Latin American and Caribbean to gain awareness of their rights and influence law and policy; and using citizen science and monitoring at local and national levels to test the application of the tools.

Through these activities, we seek ways to catalyse active engagement with nature stewardship and scale-up nature-based solutions and human rights mainstreaming at regional and global levels. We also analyze how biosphere defenders—those who fight to protect their land, water, and territories—not only transform our understanding of socio-ecological systems but also actively engage in legal and economic processes.

Project Partners:  

Consortium Coordinator of the project: Dr. Claudia Ituarte-Lima, Head of the Human Rights and Environment Thematic Area and Senior Researcher, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. Claudia.ituarte-lima@rwi.lu.se

Dr. Torsten Krause, Senior Lecture, Deputy Director. Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies. torsten.krause@LUCSUS.lu.se. Lund, Sweden.

Dr. Ana María Vargas, Affiliated researcher, Director of first and second cycle studies at Department of Sociology of Law, Lund University. ana_maria.vargas_falla@soclaw.lu.se. Lund, Sweden.

Dr. Diana Vela Almeida, Assistant professor, Environmental Governance. Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. Utrecht University. Netherlands.

Dr. Tatiana Acevedo Guerrero, Assistant Proffesor, Environmental Governance; Utrecht University. t.acevedoguerrero@uu.nl, Netherlands.

Dr. Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez.  Research professor, Brussel School of Governance  Liliana.Lizarazo.Rodriguez@vub.be, Brussels, Belgium.

Dr. Elizabeth Bürgi Bonanomi​. Head of Sustainability Governance Impact Area; Senior lecture in Law & Sustainability. Center for Development and Environment, University of Bern. elisabeth.buergi@unibe.ch; Bern, Switzerland.

Dr. Judith Schäli, Senior Reasearch Scientist, Sustainability Governance Impact Area. Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) judith.schaeli@unibe.ch University of Bern, Switzerland.

Dr. Gabi Sonderegger, Senior Research Scientist; Sustainability Governance Impact Area; Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern. gabi.sonderegger@unibe.ch, Bern Switzerland.

Carol Rask, Chief Adviser, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, Americas. Danish Institute for Human Rights. cara@humanrights.dk; Copenhague, Denmark.

Alvaro Amaya; Regional Expert, latín America and the Caribbean, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, Americas. alam@humanrights.dk

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