CLIMATE CHANGE IN TIMOR-LESTE

CLIMATE CHANGE IN TIMOR-LESTE

Timor-Leste was Portuguese colony until 1975 and also under Indonesian sovereignty from 1975 to 1999.

In 1999 there was a popular referendum that was held under the UN auspices, the International Force for East Timor kept the peace until formal independence was established in 2022. After that, the United Nations began to recognize East Timor as Timor-Leste after achieving formal independence on May 20, 2002.

Many efforts have been made by the government of Timor-Leste for the prosperity of the people and the country since 2002 until now and many donors (Embassy of Japan, The Asian Development Bank-ADB, Australian Government, and other donors) invested in providing clean water to the communities, but many of its citizens still have problems with their basic needs, especially clean water, even though many donors have invested in the provision of clean water for communities in Timor-Leste. The problem of clean water is not a problem in the entire country but has a very positive impact on residents in several districts and rural areas, and this sometimes leads to crime among Timorese.

According to the Fresh Water Watch Organization, the quality of fresh water is just as important as the quantity. Poor water quality is the cause of more deaths each year than from all forms of violence, including wars. Poor water quality is also putting over 50% of freshwater fish species and 30% of amphibians at risk of extinction.

Water quality refers to a range of measures including temperature, pH, nutrient, and chemical levels. These levels naturally vary between different freshwater environments, but human activity can cause extreme changes in water quality, from which natural environments cannot always recover.

You will have heard about the devastating impact of oil spills in marine environments, but did you know that our freshwater environments are also under threat, from the chemicals we use every day? This pollution comes from our farms, our homes, our roads, our sewage treatment works and more.

However, of all the problems that exist, if it is reviewed carefully, it is the residents themselves

who are the source of the problem because the community is not yet aware of the importance of protecting nature and its resources.

Until now the residents still have characteristics that are not beneficial to nature such as burning forests during the dry season, illegal logging, traditional farming method, less participation in reforestation activities, and cutting wood in the mountains for firewood and selling it to local markets including national markets.

Because of all these problems, climate change often occurs which is very unfavorable for the country which is dubbed as the youngest country in Southeast Asia, such as prolonged heavy rains, cyclones, flash floods, landslides, and long droughts that make its citizens suffer.

 

Question for the reader, what is a good solution for this? 

What kind of technologies need to be addressed?

I am waiting for your answers in the comments.

PROMOTIONS!

Acio Ferquin - Ema Ne'e Maka Hau

Acio Ferquin - Matan Wen Sei Maran