Outline of the Project

Project Name

The Project for Community-Based Sustainable Natural Resource Management Phase II

Country

Timor-Leste

Date Record of Discussion signed

18 February 2016

Project Site

Comoro and Laclo watersheds

Term of Cooperation

19 August 2016 - 18 February 2022

Implementing Agency

National Directorate for Forestry and Watershed Management (NDFWM), Ministry of agriculture and Fisheries (MAF)

Background

In Timor-Leste, about 184,000 ha of forests had disappeared between 2003 and 2012, and about 171,000 ha of dense and sparse forests had degraded in the same period to either sparse forest or other land use such as farmland. These deforestation and forest degradation mainly derive from economic activities of poor upland farmers, including reclamation of new lands, slash-and-burn framing, firewood collection and uncontrolled change in land use.

The Phase I of the Project established and introduced "Community-Based Sustainable Natural Resource Management" (CB-NRM), which allowed the communities to manage natural resources including forests in a sustainable manner, to six (6) villages of Comoro and Laclo watersheds in collaboration with local NGOs.

In CB-NRM mechanism, target village community reviews present land and resource utilization and formulate a plan which envisions a desirable land use in the future, namely future land use plan. To implement the plan, the community formulates and operationalize a set of village regulations, including licensed tree cutting and prohibition of free animal grazing, based on customary rules. In addition, CB-NRM mechanism introduces a transition from slash-and-burn/shifting cultivation to contour and bench-terrace farming (sustainable upland farming promotion), community-based seedling production and tree planting and income generation activities of women's groups, as the measures for promoting land use improvement led by the community. These activities allowed the target communities to understand the actual status of illegal cutting and forest fires and address these issues while adjusting land use. This Project (Phase II) aims at further capacity development of implementing actors, including MAF/NDFWM and local NGOs, for expanding CB-NRM mechanism in major watersheds in the country based on the Phase I achievements.

Overall Goal

Community-based sustainable natural resource management (CB-NRM) mechanism is expanded to some of the major watersheds in accordance with the road map.

Project Purpose

Capacities of key operational actors including NDFWM, NGOs and other stakeholders to expand the CB-NRM mechanism are enhanced.

Outputs

Output1: The road map for future expansion of the CB-NRM mechanism is formulated.

Output2: Enabling environment is developed to enhance relevant institutions for expansion of the CB-NRM mechanism.

Output 3: Capacities of key operational actors including NDFWM, NGOs and other stakeholders are improved through actual engagement in implementation of the CB-NRM mechanism.

Inputs

Japanese side
Experts
Training in Japan
Equipment

Timor-Leste side
Counterpart personnel
Office space and equipment