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Rebuilding Livelihoods in Communities Affected by El Niño in Timor-Leste - TCP/TIM/3609

Year of publication 2019

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 2p.

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The impact of the 2015/16 El Niño episode is one of the most wide-reaching ever recorded, with an estimated 60 million people affected worldwide by drought, floods and extreme cold weather. The situation was particularly serious in Timor-Leste, where production of maize and rice fell by 13 and 71 percent respectively in 2016. Some farmers planted and lost their crops on a number of occasions. Some 48 percent of drought-affected households (around 60 382 households) reported an animal death, while 21 percent (around 29 050 households) reported sick animals, due to shortages of water and food. This was potentially catastrophic for a country in which livestock-rearing is one of the most important sources of income and plays a key role in supporting livelihoods. The situation severely affected districts across the country, leaving around 40.6 percent of the agriculture-dependent population (345 400 people) food-insecure, and further aggravating the overall poor food security and nutrition situation in the country (26.9 percent of the population was considered undernourished for the period between 2014-2016).

Language English

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    Around 36 percent of the population of Timor-Leste is chronically food insecure, while the country faces high levels of exposure to disasters such as droughts, floods, storms, pests, soil erosion and forest fires. Given the lack of technical expertise in Timor-Leste’s public and private sectors in terms of applied research in sustainable agriculture and natural resources management, and with vulnerable rural communities becoming increasingly affected by natural hazards, there was a need to provide farmers with the skills and support needed to improve household and national food security and reduce rural poverty. In response, the project aimed to support the Government of Timor-Leste, in particular the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, in building back livelihoods and income sources, while mitigating the further deterioration of the nutritional status of El Niño-affected families and most vulnerable households. The anticipated outcome was enhanced livelihood resilience for vulnerable farm families in drought-prone areas of the country through the integration of disaster risk management, early warning and the promotion of Climate-Smart Agriculture technologies and practices.
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    Heavy rains across Timor-Leste from 29 March to 4 April 2021 associated with a tropical storm resulted in flash floods and landslides throughout the country, with the capital city Dili and surrounding low-lying areas the worst affected. Rice and maize production was severely affected by the floods, landslides and strong winds, which completely destroyed some rice fields. FAO’s rapid interventions aim to support 5 500 flood-affected, marginal farming households to restore their incomes and food production capacity.
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    The Republic of the Marshall Islands has historically faced numerous challenges with regard to the accessibility of consistent water supplies. In 2015/16, an estimated 21 000 people were affected by severe drought conditions as a result of the El Niño Southern Oscillation. A State of Emergency was declared in March 2016 and support was requested from the World Bank to conduct a Post Disaster Needs Assessment to evaluate the economic effects of the drought, while the Pacific Community was asked to assess key sectors, including agriculture, water and health. The monetary value of the effects of the drought, in early 2016, was estimated at USD 4.9 million. Although this was equivalent to only 3.4 percent of the 2015 gross domestic product for the country as a whole, the consequences of the drought on agricultural production were critical, as the agriculture sector is of primary importance to self-employed communities in outer islands, where the cultivation and processing of copra, and the sale of fish, bananas, pumpkins and handicrafts are the main sources of cash income. In response to this situation, a nine-month Drought Immediate and Near Response Plan was endorsed by the Government for USD 8.9 million, of which USD 3.1 million would meet food security needs. The aim of the project was to increase resilience and contribute to restoring the food security of at least 560 drought-affected households (HHs) in the six most affected atolls (Arno, Aur, Maloelap, Mejit, Namu and Wotje) in a sustainable manner. This would be achieved by distributing drought-resistant and saline-tolerant crops, by providing training in sustainable agriculture in drought-prone areas to farmers, women and youth, and by supporting the Government in monitoring the outcome of the training and seed distribution in order to inform future sustainable response practices and future action plans.
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