LocationsClimate finance making a tangible difference in the suco of Estado
Flowing hope: Transforming lives through clean water access
December 16, 2024
Maria Rosário de Fátima, 12, enjoys helping her mother fetching water, which is only a few meters from their home.
Maria Lopes/UNDP Timor-Leste
Access to clean water is a fundamental necessity for communities worldwide, and the people of the suco of Estado in Timor-Leste have long struggled with accessing this basic human right. Situated 50 km from Dili, nestled amidst the country’s lush landscapes, suco of Estado is located in Ermera Municipality and comprises four Aldeias (namely Indau Lulik, Huitaso, Moris Mesak, and Hamrik Metin) with a total of 187 households. For generations, the community relied on a single spring water source located in Aldeia Indau Lulik 10 km away from some of the homes, making access to clean water a daily challenge.
The arduous journey to fetch and carry water used to take significant time for Alice Reinaldo Exposto and her family on their coffee farm in the suco of Estado, negatively impacting production and their lives. Many communities in Timor-Leste observe that dry seasons are becoming longer making water even more scarce. "There were times when it was extremely difficult to have even a jerrycan of water to wash the food and vegetables that we were going to cook,” said Ms. Maria da Gloria. As a result, children were severely impacted, often going to school with only their faces washed and nothing for breakfast. "My cousin and I must walk 2 km from home to draw water in the morning and afternoon, which takes a lot of our time, making it difficult for us to prepare for school and study at night.", Maria Rosário de Fátima (12 years old) added, expressing the difficulties she and her cousin João da Silva (8 years old) faced.
Ms. Maria da Glória and Ms.Alice Reinaldo Exposto
Maria Lopes/UNDP Timor-Leste
To overcome these challenges, the resilient community resorted to traditional methods, such as using bamboo, to transport water from the spring, which unfortunately posed another risk: contamination.
Communities across the country face similar challenges. Water and climate change are inextricably linked. In the case of Timor-Leste, climate change affects water in varying ways, from rising sea levels, and unpredictable rainfall patterns to flash floods and droughts. The country has experienced intense climate-induced disasters such as the 2015-2016 El Niño event and the April 2021 flash floods, amongst others. Adaptation action, such as climate-proofing infrastructure, plays a crucial role in mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Timor-Leste’s National Adaptation Plan named water security among the major impacts, vulnerabilities, and risks of climate change. Yet, helping communities adapt to the negative effects of climate change can be difficult as approximately 90 percent of climate finance currently goes to mitigation actions.
For a small island developing state faced with extreme socio-economic challenges, including the current El Niño event, the financial and social costs of climate change adaptation are too high. Accessing climate finance provides the necessary resources to implement climate-proofing measures and build resilience in vulnerable communities. At the same time, the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review, supported by UNDP, showed that during the period of 2018-2021, the climate-relevant public expenditure financed by development partners actually decreased. The water sector has been among the ones experiencing a significant reduction of support.
Traditional methods for transporting water from springs
Jaquelino Magno/UNDP Timor-Leste
However, in 2019, the 23rd Board meeting of the Green Climate Fund approved its first climate action project in the country - Safeguarding Rural Communities and Their Physical Assets from Climate-Induced Disasters. The project, implemented by UNDP, came as a beacon of hope to the suco of Estado. Through funding from the Green Climate Fund, the Government of Timor-Leste, and UNDP, the project conducted a comprehensive feasibility study in the suco. Following extensive water quality testing in September 2023, the project team, in collaboration with the Ministry of State Administration, embarked on implementing a new climate-proofed water system. Bioengineering and agroforestry interventions were employed to ensure land or soil stability and resilience of the infrastructure from localized land degradation. The agroforestry intervention resulted in the plantation of a total of 3,864 trees, across a five-hectare area, including casuarina, leucaena, rambutan, sandalwood, and agarwood. These trees ensure the long-term preservation of the water sources by preventing soil erosion and sedimentation while promoting biodiversity and ecosystem restoration.
The construction of the water system in the suco of Estado was entrusted to a local company, Banudu BHL Entreprise, Ltd., supporting entrepreneurship while also involving local government and communities to encourage ownership. Together they shaped more than pipes – they crafted new lifelines for the community. Now, the new 17 water taps serve 187 homes across the four Aldeias, totaling 1,046 individuals who have directly benefitted from the program.
Clean water installation from water source to Suco Estado
Jaquelino Magno/UNDP Timor-Leste
Previously, the community had to occasionally fetch water from the river, which increased the risks of water-borne diseases. Therefore, the Chief of Suco Estado, Julio Salsinha, gratefully expressed how impactful the construction of the water system was: "Thanks to the UNDP project and the government's support, the implementation of the water system in suco Estado has had a tremendous impact on community health. Clean water is essential for our well-being." He also emphasized the importance of continued support, urging UNDP and the government to expand their efforts beyond the four aldeias covered by the project, stressing the need for a comprehensive water system that addresses the challenges faced by the other surrounding eight aldeias, where water supply systems are at risk.
Enabling access to clean water with ease has not only significantly improved the community’s sanitation and health but also lightened their burden. No longer forced to walk miles for water, children like Maria and João can now focus on their studies and see their dreams getting closer with each drop.
Despite the positive change, the level of climate financing in the least developed countries, including Timor-Leste, remains inadequate. According to the studies cited by the IMF, Timor-Leste’s vulnerability to climate change and natural disaster risk is amongst the highest across Asian economies and is expected to worsen. But, every time a tap is turned in suco of Estado, hope flows showing how joint efforts by local communities, government, international partners, and the private sector can yield positive outcomes for sustainable development, promote reforestation and biodiversity while building community resilience, and attract climate finance.
Clean water is now accessible to everyone
Jaquelino Magno/UNDP Timor-Leste
The story of people from the suco of Estado is a reminder that every drop of clean water holds the promise of a brighter tomorrow. Now, more than ever, there is a need to scale up climate finance, among other things, to invest in sustainable infrastructure and promote access to clean water, safeguarding the rights of children and building the resilience of local communities — inspiring a wave of change across the country for a healthier and more prosperous future for all.
A water tap in Suco Estado, installed by GCF Project.
Jaquelino Magno/UNDP Timor-Leste