Outline of the Project

Project Name

Community-based integrated watershed management in Laclo and Comoro river basins

Country

Timor-Leste

Date R/D signed

August 19,2005

Project Site

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.

Term of Cooperation

From November 2005 To March 2010

Implementing Organization

National Directorate of Forestry (NDF), Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF)

Project Background

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.

Purpose

The objectives of the Study are :

1. to develop a community-based watershed management plan in Laclo and Comoro river basins,
2. to prepare community-based watershed management guidelines for MAF in order to plan and implement watershed management in other areas, and
3. to develop the capacity of the counterpart personnel for watershed management through on-the-job training during the course of the Study.

Project Activities

In order to achieve the objectives mentioned above, the Study consists of two phases.

Phase 1

Collection and analysis of data, development of a draft watershed management plan and formulation of pilot projects

1. Formation of a Working Team (MAF staff, District MAF staff and JICA Study Team)
2. Collection and analysis of relevant existing data and information, and field survey
3. Village Profile Survey
4. Market Survey
5. Forest Survey
6. Preparation of land-use and vegetation maps for the study area (scale: 1/25,000)
7. Identification of socio-economic, physical, technical, managerial and institutional factors inhibiting and promoting watershed management
8. Identification of effective strategies for watershed management
9. Preparation of a draft community-based watershed management plan
10. Selection of target villages
11. Baseline and RRA surveys at the target villages
12. Determination and conceptualization of the pilot projects
13. Formulation of implementation plans for the pilot projects
14. Organization of a workshop to present the draft community-based watershed management plan and mplementation plans for the pilot projects

Phase 2

Implementation of the pilot projects, development of the watershed management plan and preparation of community-based watershed management guidelines

15. Implementation of the pilot projects in collaboration with local NGOs
16. Monitoring and Evaluation of the pilot projects
17. Finalization of the community-based watershed management plan for the study area based on the result of the pilot projects
18. Preparation of the community-based watershed management guidelines based on the findings and experience during the course of the study
19. Organization of the technology transfer seminar

Inputs

By Japanese Side :

• Consultants: Team Leader/ Watershed Management, Afforestration/Community Forestry, Agroforestry, Community Development/Agricultural Development, Community Participation, Livestock Management, GIS/Soil Conservation/Public Awareness Raising

By Timor-Leste Side :

• Counterpart personnel
• Office space and office furniture
• Available data including GIS data and Aerial photos and information related to the Study