Timor-Leste Charts a New Course on Disaster Resilience as Ministry of Interior and UNDP Convene National Civil Protection Workshop  

"Climate change poses an immediate risk to Timor-Leste, causing visible damage to roads on the south coast and in the highlands", warned H.E. Mr. Francisco da Costa Guterres during his remarks

UNDP Timor-Leste

More than 60 representatives from national and municipal government institutions gathered on 17 July 2026 for a National Civil Protection Workshop, co-organized by the Ministry of Interior and UNDP Timor-Leste, to chart a shared path from reactive disaster response toward long-term, proactive climate resilience.

Timor-Leste ranks among the most climate-vulnerable small island developing states in the world. National assessments show that roughly 70 per cent of the rural population — approximately 840,000 people — remain highly exposed to floods, landslides, droughts, and strong winds, hazards whose frequency and severity are projected to at least double by mid-century. Population growth, environmental degradation, and urban expansion are compounding these risks, placing growing pressure on communities across all 14 municipalities.

"Climate change poses an immediate risk to Timor-Leste, causing visible damage to roads on the south coast and in the highlands", warned H.E. Mr. Francisco da Costa Guterres. Welcoming participants to the workshop, which brought together senior leadership from UNDP and the Ministry of Interior mainly the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, the President of the Autoridade de Proteção Civil (APC), among others, the Minister explained the event was convened in direct response to these escalating threats. He cautioned that within a few years, the consequences will intensify and severely impact the nation’s crops and agriculture. He called for stronger coordination from the national to the grassroots level, working closely with institutions including the PNTL and the APC to prevent and mitigate risk.

Ms. Adeline Carrier, UNDP Resident Representative a.i., during her welcoming remarks explained that: ''Integrated emergency management is essential to protect lives, infrastructure, and development gains in small island development states". She cautioned that relying on post-disaster resource mobilization is unsustainable, urging a decisive shift toward proactive protection and resilience-building.

During his remarks, H.E. Minister of Interior Francisco da Costa Guterres reminded participants: "Nature cannot be fought, but damage can be resisted and avoided through preparedness."

UNDP Timor-Leste

During the workshop, civil protection focal points, the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), and representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation were briefed by UNDP's Climate Change and Environment portfolio teams.

The workshop presentation and discussions centered on strengthening partnership synergy between UNDP and the Ministry of Interior's statutory leadership in disaster risk reduction, reviewing current initiatives, the evolving El Nino shoks, and exploring joint initiatives with clear resource mobilization and co-financing strategies, and identifying a sustainability roadmap that allows government institutions to independently maintain the systems and assets built through the partnership over time. 

"The UNDP Climate Resilience Portfolio serves as an integrated framework to build systems that withstand climate shocks," explained UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Ms. Felisberta Moniz da Silva. Aligned with the Timor-Leste National Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030, the portfolio transitions the nation away from purely responding to disasters. Instead, it prioritizes proactive prevention, preparedness, and long-term resilience through smart planning and integrated climate action.

The UNDP Technical Team presented the several initiatives under this portfolio – mainly resilient infrastructure, blue-green jobs and livelihoods, energy transition, institutional strengthening for risk-informed development planning, and cross-cutting digital, gender and inclusion, and sustainable financing as development enablers. 

The partnership between Timor-Leste and UNDP has resulted in significant results contributing to increased access to basic services and improved livelihoods of the rural population. Key achievements include the construction of 65 resilient infrastructure schemes, including irrigation systems and rural roads, benefitting more than 160,000 people; blue-green jobs and livelihoods interventions in agroforestry, horticulture, fisheries, ecotourism, and community employment schemes, reaching over 30,000 people; and the installation solar home system and hybrid solar systems at health and education facilities, benefitting over 25,000 rural population, including teachers and students. 

Presenting the analysis from the World Meteorological Organization, Ms. Felisberta explained that a high-intensity El Niño is likely to persist into 2026 - 2027, which will impact the livelihoods of the vulnerable population the ground as it raises the risk of wildfire and drought - threatening both lives and food security. She called for sustained investment in physical and socio-economic resilience, underlining that some of the current initiatives such as solar water pumps, rainwater harvesting, and sea-water desalination can be replicated to address the EL-Nino shocks. 

Participants also discussed aligning future joint action with the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) and regional standards — an especially timely conversation given Timor-Leste's recent accession as the 11th member state of ASEAN.

A shift from response to resilience

The remarks opened onto a lively exchange, with participants pressing UNDP and government representatives on how partnership commitments translate into practice on the ground. Several raised questions about how projects implemented through NGOs and community-based organizations are selected, and whether the choice of sectors, from water to education and culture, follows a clear rationale. In response, it was clarified that all UNDP support is anchored in the Country Programme Document, formulated together with the Government of Timor-Leste through consultations with line ministries and endorsed by UN member states. Each project requires the approval of its responsible line ministry before an implementing NGO is selected through a competitive Call for Proposals, with an evaluation committee and Project Board overseeing selection, monitoring, and a final published evaluation of results and lessons learned.

Sustainability featured prominently in the discussion. Participants asked how access to services such as clean water, and to digital and internet connectivity for schools under UNDP’s energy transition programme, could be sustained in rural areas once project funding ends. It was explained that operation and maintenance arrangements are built together with communities from the outset, including joint contributions and training at both engineer and community level, so that local systems can keep functioning after a project closes. 

The presentation on the evolving El-Nino was highly appreciated. Participants asked whether data national exists on the effects of El Niño in Timor-Leste, specifically on how communities are affected in terms of food and water, so that measures can be taken and affected communities informed. UNDP explained that that the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports an 80% probability of El Niño conditions through August, with dominant patterns climbing near or above 90% through November. Concurrently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center has confirmed that these conditions will steadily strengthen - assigning a 63% probability to a "very strong" event between November 2026 and January 2027. Furthermore, the National Drought Hazard Map (produced by UNDP and CPA) shows that the southern and eastern Timor-Leste face moderate to severe drought risks, while western areas have lower risks.  It was proposed that the previous and current initiative such as the community infrastructure and community employment ‘cash for work’ can be replicated to address El-Nino crisis.

Participants also questioned the risks that come with development itself, pointing to the absence of a dedicated government platform to address them, and asked how UNDP mitigates such risks in its infrastructure work, citing the example of roads built higher than surrounding housing, as well as how affected communities are kept informed. Related questions probed how UNDP is helping government close coordination gaps between ministries to build a more integrated digital platform. It was explained that UNDP has been engaging with the Government to establish a dedicated ministerial platform for more resilient and sustainable development, though the initiative remains under discussion pending agreement across ministries and the completion of further assessments. Taken together, the exchange underscored both the progress made in institutionalizing government–UNDP partnership and the practical challenges that remain in ensuring resilience investments endure well beyond the life of any single project.

The way forward

Closing his remarks, the Minister thanked UNDP and the Government of Japan for their support, and acknowledged the contributions of UNDP, partner institutions, the APC, and all participants. Resilience, he said, cannot be built in a single day — it requires continued, joint effort to safeguard children, communities, and lives.

The workshop marks a further step in translating Timor-Leste's climate resilience ambitions into coordinated action across government, laying the groundwork for joint initiatives that will be shaped, financed, and ultimately sustained by national and municipal institutions themselves.

UNDP Timor-Leste