Community-based integrated watershed management in Laclo and Comoro river basins
Timor-Leste
August 19,2005
The Study area covers the watersheds of the Laclo and Comoro rivers, which extends over six (6) districts, namely, Liquica, Ermera, Aileu, Ainaro, Manifahi, and Manatuto, with an approximate area of 160,000 hectares.
From November 2005 To March 2010
National Directorate of Forestry (NDF), Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF)
Between 1972 and 1999, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste had reduced its forest cover at a rate of 1.1 % per annum or by 24 % in total. At present, forests in the country cover only about 35 % (or 0.5 million ha) of the total land of the country (1.5 million ha). It is reported that the main causes of deforestation are i) forest fires, ii) tree cutting for firewood collection, iii) shifting cultivation, and iv) uncontrolled illegal logging. Deforestation has further caused soil erosion, land slides and flash floods, and eventually affected the people's life in major river basins.
The Comoro and Laclo watersheds have the respective important values for the people in Timor-Leste. The former is the catchment of the Comoro river running through Dili city and has a source of major water supplies to the city in itself, while the latter supports one of the major rice producing areas in the country by supplying water to its irrigation system. However, deforestation / forest degradation has progressed in both watersheds over years, and therefore, MAF designated them "critically degraded watersheds". Because of their values, there is an urgent need to prevent both watersheds from further degradation and rather to restore their vegetation covers, so that they can maintain their important functions.
Under the circumstances, the Government of Timor-Leste officially requested the Government of Japan to conduct a development study to come up with a community-based integrated watershed management plan for both basins so that MAF could manage the basins in a proper and sustainable manner. In response to the official request, JICA dispatched a Preparatory Study Team in April 2005. Through a series of discussions between the Preparatory Study and MAF, both bodies agreed on the implementation of the Study and signed its Scope of Work (S/W) on April 28, 2005.
The objectives of the Study are :
In order to achieve the objectives mentioned above, the Study consists of two phases.
Collection and analysis of data, development of a draft watershed management plan and formulation of pilot projects
Implementation of the pilot projects, development of the watershed management plan and preparation of community-based watershed management guidelines