With $8 million in funding, UNOPS will support the procurement, installation and commissioning of specialized early warning systems equipment as well as provide human resources support to the UNEP-led Green Climate Fund (GCF) project.

“UNOPS is proud to contribute to a project that strengthens community resilience to hydro-meteorological hazards in Timor-Leste,” said Samina Kadwani, Director of UNOPS Multi-Country Office in Thailand.

As extreme weather events grow in frequency, the people of Timor-Leste increasingly find themselves battling the impacts – landslides, flooding and prolonged droughts – that threaten their lives, livelihoods and property. This is further compounded in the Small Island Developing State, highly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks, that is recovering from 25 years of conflict.

Under the broader project, the GCF has committed over $21 million to help transform Timor-Leste’s climate information capabilities and early warning systems – vital to the country’s response to climate change. Over a five-year period it will focus on increasing awareness of disaster risk knowledge among communities. It will also help strengthen the detection, monitoring analysis and forecasting of hazards. An estimated 1.3 million people will benefit from the project, through increased preparedness and response capabilities.