In depth

Our intervention

UNDP is building on successes in early recovery to provide coherent, long-term resilience building support for the country through social cohesion and social protection; disaster and climate risk management policies; and preparedness and response to natural hazards.

Through the ‘Building Shoreline Resilience of Timor-Leste to Protect Local Communities and Their Livelihoods’ project, UNDP is strengthening the resilience of coastal communities through the extensive planting and protection of mangroves - a vital natural defense against the impacts of climate change - as well as introducing alternative mangrove-supportive livelihood opportunities and improving of public awareness on the important role of mangroves in coastal protection.

Incorporating the potential for climate induced disasters when designing infrastructure is a key component of disaster risk management which pays for itself by reducing recurrence, maintenance and post-disaster recovery costs. The Dili-to-Ainaro Road Development Corridor (DARDC) is a vital road network linking five districts and more than 503,200 people through its north/south trajectory. In partnership with the World Bank, the Government of Timor-Leste is investing US$115 million to rehabilitate the roads along the corridor. UNDP is contributing to the protection of critical infrastructure along the corridor from climate-induced natural disaster through supporting the development of better policies, strengthened local disaster risk management institutions, and investments in risk reduction measures designed to secure infrastructure investment and human development gains.