Three of every five Timorese are farmers[1]. They rely on their farms for their own sustenance and household income. Food insecurity, climate change, and environmental degradation are an increasing problem in Timor-Leste, putting current and future crops at risk. Ensuring agricultural practices are robust and sustainable are an important part of safeguarding food, livelihoods and the future of Timorese agriculture. 

 

The Timor-Leste Constitution enshrines the importance of the environment under Section 61; "Everyone has the right to a humane, healthy and ecologically balanced environment and the duty to protect it and improve it for the benefit of the the future generations."[2] 

 

FUNDEF has received funding in 2017 from UNDP to grow and protect mangroves in Liquica. In the past few years FUNDEF has run UNDP funded projects protecting the environment in munisipality of Manatuto and has organised projects in munisipality of Baucau.

 

FUNDEF will work with the communities in Ulmera and Mota Ulun in Liquica to protect and restore their mangroves and strengthen their alternative livelihoods. To protect the mangroves the team and the community will build a fence, help to make the community laws (Tara Bandu) and government policy stronger and raise awareness about the importance of mangroves to the environment. They will also work on building new small businesses that do not depend on cutting down mangroves.

 

Near the centre of Timor-Leste are several villages in the Manatuto district that have suffered significant erosion and changing weather patterns from climate change. FUNDEF was building the capacity of 90 people (of whom 40 are women) from 50 different households to adapt practices and improve conditions. This included increasing community knowledge on the impacts of environmental damage such as erosion. FUNDEF also ran training on agroforestry, a system where trees and shrubs are grown near vegetables and other crops. This approach limits deforestation and erosion while increasing biodiversity and production. FUNDEF emphasised the traditional customs of 'tara bandu' which ban certain tree felling, land clearing and hunting. Together with the community, FUNDEF is protecting Timor-Leste's future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FUNDEF was together with the community at Ulmera village Likisa municipal, did a campaign thought out planting mangrove in the coastal area in order to protect community who are living in a coastal area.

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Census, 2015

[2] Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Constitution