Timor-Leste

Children collect water in Bobonaro.

Credit: IDSS/CWSSP

The newfound state of Timor-Leste, with a population of only one million inhabitants has suffered huge human and social costs as a result of its 25 year independence struggle with Indonesia.

Loyalists and militias backed by the Indonesian military destroyed much of the country's infrastructure including irrigation and water supply systems when it became clear that the people of Timor-Leste would vote for independence.

They left behind a country in ruins that is slowly re-building itself with international help.

The climate of Timor-Leste is characterised by extreme conditions with little or no rain falling in the north of the island for almost eight months of the year.

When the rains finally come they can bring with them large-scale flooding which washes pollution into the waterways. Because of this water quality is often poor with urban water pollution a serious issue in some cities.

A climate favourable to mosquitoes and poor sanitation in the cities means that malaria is one of the major causes of death and has a large impact on economic and educational development.

The United Nations estimates that only just over half of the population has access to safe water and only just over a third have acces to sanitation facilities.

WaterAid in Timor-Leste

WaterAid began working in Timor-Leste in 2005. WaterAid Australia and Plan Australia have been working in partnership to implement a water and environmental sanitation programme.

The programme aims to deliver sustainable, community managed water and sanitation services to rural communities in Aileu District as well as health and hygiene education in Aileu, Baucau, Manatuto and Lautem Districts.

Since late 2005 we have had an engineer involved in designing and implementing a range of water and sanitation projects with rural communities in and around the Aileu District.

The main technologies we are implementing in the region are gravity fed water systems and pour flush latrines that the local community can maintain themselves.

Since the end of the war the international community and Asian Development Bank has been playing an important role in supporting the new government in re-building the country's water and sanitation infrastructure.

Coupled with this the Government's Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSSP) encourages local communities to manage their own water supply and sanitation services to help tackle the country's malaria problem and ensure sustainable water supplies.

WaterAid Australia is currently undertaking surveys and meeting with organisations and representatives in Australia and Timor-Leste to ascertain needs and identify possible future partners and projects.