Empowering communities to develop sustainable water catchment systems in Timor-Leste

Viqueque, 14th March 2024 - Having a clean and accessible source of water and keeping her three children healthy and happy, have always been the modest dreams of 32-year-old Evelina Gomes from Bahafou Aldeia in Viqueque (Aldeia means hamlets in English). These dreams have however appeared farfetched as the quest for clean and safe water for the family’s daily use, is one of the most arduous struggles that Evelina faces.

As with many communities in Timor-Leste, changes in weather patterns, including depleted rain fall and intense heat patterns, have contributed to the significant diminishing of water sources.  According to the 2022 national census, 54 per cent of households in Timor-Leste experience at least one water shortage during a period of 6 months. In rural areas, only 20 per cent of the population has access a basic level water source. 

Women like Evelina suffer the most when water sources are depleted or absent.  To avoid disgruntlements and gloom from family members when water is not enough, women are often forced to spend an enormous portion of their time in search of water for the family to use for drinking, cooking and for maintaining household hygiene.  

“On a good day, I spend about two hours to travel to the river to fetch water for our family,” says Evelina, as she explains the daily realities faced by women from the 51 households in Bahafou Aldeia as they scramble to get water from this one source in the village.  

The complexities of fetching water from the river, do not end with Evelina walking through long dusty roads, under the broiling heat of the sun to reach the river.  She must also dig a hole and wait patiently as clean water to gradually seeps through. She then must shoulder the massive loads of water, while navigating through the narrow paths leading to her home. At home, the water must be boiled and protected from contaminants, which can cause illness to her family. 

“I carry almost 90 litres so that my family has enough water to use for at least two days. By the time I get home from fetching water, I will be too tired to do anything else,” says Evelina, who today can afford to smile broadly as the dream of accessing clean and safe water is no longer a distant dream, but she can clearly see this within the horizon. 

Since 2023, with support from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and Head Quarter-innovative Fund, UNICEF Timor-Leste has been working with villagers in 40 communities in Viqueque and Ainaro on a Water Catchment Management project, which will provide longer time solution to mitigate these perennial risks and burdens associated with water scarcity. 

Working with a local Civil Society Organisation, PERMATIL, community representatives are being engaged to explore ways of improving ground water sources, as well implementing co-ordinated sustainable land management practices such as reforestation and introducing agricultural practices which as not water intense.  

As one of the 880 community representatives from Viqueque and Ainaro Municipalities, who is receiving skills and hands-on experiences on constructing nature-based infrastructure for water retention, Evelina is delighted to be part of this solution to making water accessible to her community.  She is also happy that in addition, building and conserving water sources will help people in her community to live peacefully, avoid water disputes and will give women more time to freely undertake other life’s priorities. 

“As a community representative, I have been made to understand natural check dam, terrace and dam help to conserve water, that will contribute to make sure there is water always available now and in the future.  I have learnt of easy and effective ways of building terraces and dams, which will help my community to store water closer to our homes,” says Evelina, as she recounts the key lessons which she will use to lead her community’s efforts in implementing water catchment. 
 

After the three days training, it’s expected that the participants will  go back to their communities to share the knowledge and skills that they gained from this training. 

All this work will culminate in significant benefits in the form of improved water quality and accessibility for Evelina, her family and other communities in Viqueque and Ainaro Municipalities.  

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