The PACRES programme implementation sites in Timor-Leste are Baucau Municipality (Larisula) and Ermera Municipality (Haupu). Key areas of implementation include water security, riparian zone restoration and expansion of Integrated Vulnerability Assessments
Prominent climate change issues, and climate change and disaster risk management capacity needs in Timor-Leste were identified through a desktop review. Climate change impacts in Timor-Leste include droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, landslides, reduced agricultural production, disruptions in the tourism industry and increased pathogen activity. Key capacity gaps identified include: need for climate change awareness, lack of innovation in planning alternative livelihoods, technical expertise, consistent climate data for planning and coordination among ministries to plan for disaster risk reduction, and need for early warning systems in municipalities and villages. Timor-Leste’s current policies and plans to address the impact of climate change include: National Disaster Risk Management Policy (draft), Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030, National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) for Climate Change 2010, National Disaster Contingency Plan for Flooding 2006, National Disaster Operations Center Manual 2009, Emergency Response and Preparedness Plan 2014, National Climate Change Policy (draft), National Adaptation Plan (NAP) (draft), Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP) and Timor-Leste Water Sector Assessment and Roadmap 2018.
Capacity needs assessments were carried out for PACRES sites using Focus Group Discussions (FGD). The groups that participated in the assessment were from Larisula and Haupu Village Councils, Letefoho and Baguia Post Administration offices and Baucau and Ermera Municipality offices. Altogether 160, 46 females and 114 males, participants from the six sub-national offices and sectoral ministries from the central government participated in the activity. Capacity needs identified include: lack of Community Action Plans, lack of local climate change management committees (especially for water and food security), lack of knowledge and basic infrastructure for water conservation, no riverine reinforcement measures to prevent erosion, need for technical skills to address agriculture and resource management issues, lack of climate change awareness (particularly at community level), disconnect between municipality and post administration offices, financial constraints to implement climate change adaptation measures, lack of human resource capacity to address the climate change capacity needs, key positions at local government levels remain vacant for extended periods due to political instability, and lack of coordination among sectoral ministries to address the cross-cutting climate change issues.
As an initial step towards mainstreaming climate change and disaster risk management, the following local action plans are identified for PACRES geographical locations: Municipal Development Plan for Baucau; Municipal Development Plan for Ermera; Village Development Plan for Larisula; Village Development Plan for Haupu.
