Senior representatives officiate US$2.7 million project funding
DILI, February 6, 2015 – The Government of Timor-Leste and the World Bank today signed a US$2.7 million grant agreement that will finance the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) project, in a ceremony attended by senior Government, World Bank and diplomatic officials.
The project, approved in August 2014, aims to increase the capacity of communities and local level agencies along the Dili-Ainaro road corridor, to help reduce the impacts of natural disasters – in particular recurring landslides and floods.
“Through this project we will support the Government of Timor-Leste in reducing the vulnerability of people living along the Dili-Ainaro road by improving their ability to manage risks from natural disasters,” said Bolormaa Amgaabazar, World Bank Country Representative for Timor-Leste. “We have adopted a community-based approach – enabling communities to take the lead in planning and managing the risks they face.”
Through a series of activities, the project will help improve the understanding and communication of landslide and flooding risks faced by communities along the Dili-Ainaro road corridor, and facilitate risk-informed planning and investments to reduce disaster impacts on communities.
The project will train officials and community members from approximately 26 sucos on various aspects of community based disaster risk management. Comprehensive suco level disaster management plans will be prepared and small scale projects to reduce disaster risks will be piloted in the sucos.
“The impact of disasters is acutely felt in Timor-Leste given the low capacity of institutions to prepare ahead of disasters,” said the Minister of Social Solidarity, Government of Timor-Leste. “Empowering communities to manage and develop their response to climate disasters is essential to ensuring the safety of our people.”
The agreement was signed by HE Isabel Amaral Guterres, Minister of Social Solidarity and; Bolormaa Amgaabazar, World Bank Country Representative, at the office of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. The ceremony was also attended by HE Jacinto Rigoberto de Deus, Vice-Minister of Social Solidarity; HE Eiji Yamato, Ambassador of Japan and; Noura Hamladji, UNDP Country Director and; Sylvie Tabesse, Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation.
The US$2.7 million project is fully funded by the Japan Policy and Human Resources Development Fund (PHRD), which is financed by the Government of Japan and managed by the World Bank.
World Bank support for the Disaster Risk Management/Climate Change Adaptation program in Timor-Leste is coordinated and developed jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with whom the World Bank will work closely.
EU funding through the Africa Caribbean Pacific – EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery enabled the development of hazard risk assessments in communities along the Dili-Ainaro road corridor and Community-Based Disaster Risk Management guidelines, which will help guide project implementation moving forward.
The National Disaster Management Directorate (NDMD) in the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS), which is the main agency responsible for coordinating disaster risk management in Timor-Leste, will be the implementing agency. The grant is for a three year period ending in October, 2017.
