Dili, April 19th, 2024 – Natural hazards such as floods and drought impact the lives and livelihoods of the people of Timor-Leste. These hazards are forecast to become more frequent and intense in the future. Anticipatory Action (AA) is an approach to disaster management that can strengthen Timor-Leste’s preparedness for and resilience to these disasters. Anticipating a disaster and equipping communities with what they need to get through it preserves their dignity. By protecting families’ health, sources of food and income throughout a crisis, anticipatory actions help to preserve the progress communities have already made, from better nutrition to education, and make them more resilient to future shocks.
The Timor-Leste Anticipatory Action Roadmap serves as a comprehensive and unifying blueprint for government ministries and partners, aimed at collectively expanding and integrating anticipatory action strategies over the next five years. This Roadmap establishes a common definition at the national level, assesses the existing plan’s status, and lays out the detailed Plan of Action spanning from 2024 to 2028.
The primary objective of this Roadmap is to facilitate the integration of anticipatory action within Timor-Leste’s current disaster risk management framework, achieved through collaborative efforts among various agencies. Through this strategic and cohesive Roadmap, Timor-Leste endeavours to fortify its disaster risk management mechanisms, enhance resilience, and collectively work towards building a more proactive way to manage disasters in the country.
The formulation of the Timor-Leste Anticipatory Action Roadmap was a collaborative and participatory endeavour, spanning from February to August 2023. The process commenced with a workshop held in Dili from the 16-17 of February 2023, where the topic was introduced, and valuable feedback was gathered to shape the roadmap. This 2-day workshop, was co-hosted by the Disaster Risk Management Committee, Civil Protection Authority (CPA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO), International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (RCRC Climate Centre), aimed to provide clarity and chart a visionary path for anticipatory action over the next five years, forming the foundation of the Roadmap at national, sub-national and community level. The Roadmap was supported by extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders and experts in Timor-Leste, including CVTL. These interactions ensured diverse perspectives and insights were incorporated into the plan.
Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL) joined 46 partners at a meeting organised by CPA, FAO and RCRC Climate Centre to give the review and confirm the Roadmap.
The meeting, held at the Resistance Museum, included CVTL’s Secretary-General, Luis Pedro Pinto, as part of the opening ceremony who delivered an address about working together collaboratively in addressing such important issues is Disaster Risk Reduction and the work CVTL is doing.
