KOMUNIKADU IMPRENSA

Australian Humanitarian Partnership nia Projetu Disaster READY implementa inisiativa sira atu hasa’e reziliensia komunidade vulneravel sira nian ba impaktu husi mudansa klimatika

Dili, 10 Maiu, 2024 – Komunidade toos-nain rural sira vulneravel tebes ba impaktu sira husi mudansa klimatika no klima ladi’ak sira; hanesan ezemplu ida, tempu bailoro naruk ne’ebé akontese ona iha rai-laran rezulta toos-nain sira hetan difikuldade produs ai-han no mos uma-kain barak mak hasoru bee menus. Ho presu ai-han aumenta sa’e iha rai-laran no mos globalmente, kondisaun klimatika ida ne’e fó risku makaas ba populasaun sira iha rai-laran ne’ebé mak iha risku makaas liu atu hetan ai-han menus. Ho ai-han nutritivu no bee mos ne’ebé mak espekta atu sai menus, uma-kain barak mak vulneravel tebes atu hasoru problema sira liga ho saúde, nutrisaun, bee, no saneamentu.

Ohin loron, Sekretariu Estadu Protesaun Sivil, Sua Excia. Domingos Mariano Reis, ofisialmente lansa projetu rua ne’ebé mak iha objetivu atu tulun komunidade sira prepara no responde ba impaktu sira husi kondisaun klimatika ne’ebé perigozu. Inisiativa sira ne’e integra ona hanesan parte ida ba Australian Humanitarian Partnership nia Projetu Disaster READY.

Iha periudu 2015/16 iha Timor-Leste, klima ne’ebé ladi’ak rezulta ona aproximadamente uma-kain hamutuk 40.6% (aproximadamente ema hamutuk 363,759) ne’ebé mak hasoru ai-han menus no esperiénisa inseguransa ai-han. Ho situasaun hanesan, iha 2023/24, rezultadu husi Indise Kombinadu ba Bailoro Naruk (Combined Drought Index) iha Timor-Leste indika katak sei iha tempu bailoro naruk ne’ebé mak ho durasaun kleur, no ida ne’e fó impaktu ona ba produsaun agrikultura iha rai-laran no uma-kain barak mak enfrenta risku ho inseguransa ai-han.

Feto, labarik feto, no ema moris ho defisiénsia hetan impaktu makaas liu ba mudansa klimatika tamba dezigualdade estrutural no sistematika ne’ebé mak sira hasoru. Inisiativa foun sira ne’e sei implementa ho foku ba igualdade jéneru, inkluzaun no lokalizasaun, ida ne’e sei hasa’e importansia ba konsiderasaun nesesidade espesifiku husi feto, labarik feto, no ema moris ho defisiénsia, no mos hakbiit autor lokal sira atu lidera esforsu sira atu mitiga no prepara komunidade sira hasoru dezastre no mudansa klimatika.

Ho asistensia fundus hamutuk AU$ 2,637,972 Dolar Australianu husi Governu Australia, inisiativa sira ne’e iha objetivu atu reduz vulnerabilidade no hasa’e reziliensia ba komunidade sira ne’ebé mak iha risku boot ba impaktu sira husi dezastre no mos mudansa klimatika.

Ekipa husi Projetu Disaster READY sei implementa inisiativa sira ne’e hodi hasa’e konsiénsia komunidade sira nian ba impaktu sira husi klima ladi’ak sira, reduz sira nia vulnerabilidade ba inseguransa ai-han liu husi suporta iha agrikultura, hadi’ak sira nia nutrisaun liu husi estabelese jardin kuda modo iha uma no distribuisaun fini ne’ebé mak bele kuda iha tempu bailoro naruk, no hadi’ak problema sira relasiona ho Bee, Sanemanetu no Ijiene liu husi atividade konserva bee no harii fasilidade bee.

Atividade Foti Asaun Antisipatoriu sai hanesan komponente foun ida ba projetu Disaster READY. Atividade ida ne’e loke dalan ba parte-interesada sira iha setor umanitariu atu foti asaun bazeia ba predisaun katak perigu husi klima sei mosu, atu nune’e bele prevene ka mitiga krize umanitaria sira antes sira akontese. Koñesimentu lokal no sistema monitorizasaun sientifika importante tebes ba aproximasaun ida ne’e tamba sira permite komunidade lokal no autor umanitariu sira halo desizaun ne’ebé informadu antes krize umanitaria mosu. Planu asaun ba foti asaun antisipatoriu kompostu husi atividade sira ne’ebé iha akordu antes ona no orsamentu ne’ebé mak prepara antes ona hodi implementa bainhira detekta katak perigu ida husi klima sei akontese.

Sua Excia Domingos Mariano Reis, Sekretariu Estadu Protesaun Sivil, afirma Governu Timor-Leste nia dedikasaun ba suporta projetu sira ne’e. “Ita hare’e ba oin, atividade sira ne’e importante tebes ba hadi’ak ita nia governasaun ba redusaun risku dezastre, hasa’e reziliensia multisetorial, no asegura partisipasaun inkluzivu iha ita nia esforsu sira atu mitiga impaktu husi dezastre no mudansa klimatika. Sekretariu Estadu Protesaun Sivil nia objetivu mak hametin kooperasaun nasional, bilateral, rejional, no internasional. Ho nune’e, ami dedikadu atu mantein parseria besik ho Governu Australia, Konsorsiu Australian Humanitarian Partnership nian, no parte-interesada sira seluk atu asegura implementasaun projetu sira ne’e la’o ho susesu. Autoridade Protesaun Sivil konsidera nain ba projetu Disaster READY, no ami iha objetivu atu kontinua pratika di’ak no esperiénsia sira husi projetu ne’e ba oin”.

Konselleira ba Dezenvolvimentu Umanu, Rebecca Dodd, ne’ebé mak reprezenta Governu Australia hateten, “Australia orgullu tebes atu marka prezensa iha ne’e ho maluk sira husi Governu Timor-Leste atu lansa inisiativa sira ne’ebé mak atu suporta komunidade sira prepara no responde ba perigu klimatika sira. Ita hotu hatene katak foti asaun sedu importante tebes atu reduz impaktu ba komunidade sira husi dezastre. Atividade sira ne’e sei loke dalan ba parte-interesada sira iha setor umanitariu atu foti desizaun bainhira detekta perigu husi klima, no ida ne’e sei ajuda ita harii reziliensa ba komunidade sira no mos suporta maluk sira ne’ebé mak vulneravel liu”.

Diretor Nasional ba CARE, Peter Goodfellow, ne’ebé mak reprezenta nudar ajensia ne’ebé lidera projetu ne’e anota katak, “Hasa’e reziliensia membru komunidade rural sira ba impaktu sira husi mudansa klimatika sai sentru ba projetu Disaster READY. Ami rekoñese katak feto, labarik feto, no ema ho defisiénsia sira bele sai membru populasaun ne’ebé vulneravel liu tamba podér estrutural no mos dezigualdade jéneru. Agora dadaun nasaun barak iha mundu, inklui Timor-Leste, sai vulneravel tebes ba impaktu husi mudansa klimatika, ho nune’e, ami suporta aumentu ba inisiativa sira iha redusaun risku dezastre ne’ebé mak foka ba hametin reziliensia ba komunidade sira ne’ebé mak hela iha area rural”.

#Remata

PRESS RELEASE

Australian Humanitarian Partnership’s Disaster READY implements initiative to increase resilience of vulnerable communities to climate shocks

Dili, 10 May, 2024 – Rural, agricultural communities in Timor-Leste can be vulnerable to the effects of the erratic climate phenomenon; for example, previous droughts in the country have resulted disrupted agricultural production and water shortages for many households.  With rising food prices both domestically and globally, this climate condition puts the country’s most vulnerable populations at risk of food insecurity.  With nutritious food and safe water predicted to be scarce, many households are vulnerable to health, nutrition, water, and sanitation issues.

Today, the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, H.E. Domingos Mariano Reis, officially launched two new projects to help communities prepare and respond to the impacts of extreme weather events. These initiatives are integrated into the Australian Humanitarian Partnership’s Disaster READY Program.

Extreme weather events in 2015/16 period in Timor-Leste led to an estimated 40.6% of households (approximately 363,759 people) experiencing food shortages and falling into severe food insecurity[1]. Similarly in 2023/24, the Combined Drought Index[2] in Timor-Leste indicated a prolonged drought period which has impacted agriculture outputs throughout the country and places many households at further risk of food insecurity.

Women, girls, and people living with disabilities are disproportionately affected by climate effects due to structural and systemic inequalities. These new initiatives will be implemented with a focus on gender equality, inclusion, and localisation, emphasising the special needs of women, girls, and people living with disabilities, as well as empowering local actors to lead mitigation and preparedness efforts.

With a total of AU$ 2,637,972 in funding assistance from the Government of Australia, these initiatives aim to reduce the vulnerabilities and increase the resilience of communities who are at risk of the impacts of disasters and climate change.

The Disaster READY team will conduct initiatives to raise community awareness about the impacts of extreme weather events, reduce vulnerability to food insecurity through agricultural assistance, improve nutrition by establishing kitchen-gardens and distribution of drought-resistant seeds, and address Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene related issues through water conservation initiatives and establishment of water facilities. 

The Anticipatory Action Trial is a new, additional component of the Disaster READY project. This approach enables humanitarian stakeholders to act ahead of predicted hazards to prevent or mitigate acute humanitarian impacts before they fully unfold. Local knowledge and scientific weather monitoring systems are crucial to this approach as they allow local communities and humanitarian actors make informed decisions ahead of a humanitarian crisis. An anticipatory action plan consists of a set of pre-agreed and pre-financed activities to be implemented once a hazard is expected to reach a predetermined trigger threshold.

His Excellency Domingos Mariano Reis, Secretary of State for Civil Protection, affirmed the Government of Timor-Leste’s dedication to supporting these projects.  “Looking ahead, these activities are critical for improving disaster risk governance, increasing multisectoral resilience, and ensuring inclusive participation in our efforts to mitigate the effects of disasters and climate change. The Secretary of State for Civil Protection’s objective is to strengthen national, bilateral, regional, and international cooperation. As such, we are dedicated to maintaining our close partnership with the Government of Australia, the Australian Humanitarian Partnership Consortium, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of these projects. The Civil Protection Authority takes full ownership of the Disaster READY project, and we aim to continue its best practices and experiences moving forward”.

Counsellor for Human Development, Rebecca Dodd Representing the Australian Government says, “Australia is proud to be here with our colleagues from the Government of Timor-Leste (Secretary State of Civil Protection Authority) and our Australian Humanitarian Partners and to launch these initiatives to support communities prepare for and respond to the impacts of extreme weather. We all know how important early action is to reduce the impact of disasters for communities. This trial allows humanitarian stakeholder to act ahead of predicted hazards, which will help build the resilience of communities and support the most vulnerable”.

The Country Director of CARE, Peter Goodfellow, representing the lead agency for the project noted, “Increasing the resilience of remote, rural members of society to climate shocks is central to the Disaster READY project. We recognise that women, girls and people with disabilities can be amongst the most vulnerable populations because of structural power and gender inequalities. As many countries around the world, including Timor-Leste, become more vulnerable to climate catastrophes, we welcome an increased focus on disaster risk reduction initiatives aimed at strengthening resilience of those living in hard to reach rural communities”.

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[1] Food Security Alert, WFP, October 2023

[2] Combined Drought Index, Ministry of Agriculture

Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry and FAO, 2023