Project news
WaterAid Timor-Leste proudly launches Kiwa PRESERVE project as country implementing partner
24 July 2026
© Kiwa Initiative
As country implementing partner, WaterAid Timor-Leste today launched Kiwa PRESERVE (Pacific Resilience through Secure livelihoods, Ecosystem and Resource management, Valued culture and Equity), a regional Nature-based Solutions (NbS) project led by WaterAid Australia, in partnership with Live & Learn and Permatil Global, under the Kiwa Initiative.
Taking place in the afternoon of Friday 26 June at Novo Turismo Resort & Spa, Bidau Lecidere, Dili, the launch event formally introduced the Kiwa PRESERVE Project to national and municipal government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, and community representatives.
The launch featured speeches from The European Union Ambassador to Timor-Leste Mr. Thorsten Bargfrede, 1st Secretary of French Embassy in Timor-Leste Mr. Jean – Eudes Durand, Head of Development Cooperation & Consellor of Embassy Canada to Indonesia & Timor-Leste Ms. Alice Birnbaum, The Deputy Head of Mission of Embassy Australia to Timor-Leste Mr. Edward Wilkinson, 1st Secretary of New Zealand Embassy Dr. Peter William, Presidente Autoridade Munisipiu Manufahi Sr. Luis Marçal da Costa Tavares, Rep. 2nd VPM Vice-Ministro para a Operacionalização dos Hopitais Sr. Dr. Flavio Brandão Mendes de Araújo, and WaterAid Timor-Leste Country Director Justino Da Silva.
“This launch marks our shared commitment and collaboration to promote sustainability, ensuring the successful implementation of this project.”
Mr. Justino da Silva, Country Director WaterAid Timor-Leste.
Implemented across Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Timor-Leste, Kiwa PRESERVE regional project takes a holistic approach to building climate resilience by addressing the interconnected vulnerabilities of water security, food production, and livelihoods through NbS. The project will take place from May 2026 – September 2029 with a budget of €5,000,000. In Timor-Leste, the project will be implemented in selected communities within the Caraulun watershed in Manufahi Municipality, including Daisua, Rotuto, Grotu, and Betano villages.
Pacific communities most acutely experience climate change through disruptions to the water cycle, declining agricultural yields, and degradation of the ecosystems on which their traditional ways of life depend. These impacts are further compounded by human land-use pressures and fall disproportionately on women, youth, indigenous people, and persons with disabilities.
“Today marks not only the launch of a project, but the strengthening of our shared commitment to climate resilience.”
Mr. Thorsten Bargfrede, The European Union Ambassador to Timor-Leste
“The Kiwa PRESERVE Project is an excellent example of how long-term partnerships can deliver meaningful and sustainable results between France and Timor-Leste.”
Mr. Jean – Eudes Durand, 1st Secretary of French Embassy in Timor-Leste
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to helping communities build resilience, protect natural ecosystems, and secure a more sustainable future.”
Ms. Alice Birnbaum, Head of Development Cooperation & Consellor of Embassy Canada to Indonesia & Timor-Leste
“We recognize that local communities are the best stewards of their natural resources, and their knowledge and leadership are essential to achieving lasting outcomes.”
Mr. Edward Wilkinson, The Deputy Head of Mission of Embassy Australia to Timor-Leste
“Climate resilience is strongest when it is led by local communities and grounded in their knowledge, values, and aspirations.”
Dr. Peter William, 1st Secretary of New Zealand Embassy
Through community-led resilience profiling and planning, Kiwa PRESERVE regional project will support watershed protection via community by-laws, reforestation of degraded slopes and riparian zones, protection of water sources, installation of bio-infiltration basins, and the adoption of agroecological practices to reduce erosion and dependence on slash-and-burn agriculture. The project places particular emphasis on inclusive governance, ensuring that women, youth, and people with disabilities are empowered as decision-makers in their communities and that traditional knowledge is integrated throughout.
“Across the Pacific, communities are already experiencing the impacts of climate change on water, food, and livelihoods. Kiwa PRESERVE will tackle these challenges with locally led, Nature-based Solutions that protect water sources, strengthen resilience, and ensure entire communities have a voice in shaping their future.” says Tom Muller, Chief Executive, WaterAid Australia.
Theme
co-benefits
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Project namePRESERVE - Pacific Resilience through Secure livelihoods, Ecosystem and Resource management, Valued culture and Equity
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Project LeadWaterAid Australia
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Project StartEst. May 2026
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Estimated termSeptember 2029
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Amount of funding€5,000,000
Project locations
Communities especially experience climate change through impacts on the water cycle affecting availability of water for drinking and agriculture, disruptions to traditional agriculture-based livelihoods, reduced food security, and changes to seasonal ecosystem cycles by which many communities time their annual livelihood activities. These effects are compounded by human land use activities that harm biodiversity and contribute to the degradation of culturally, spiritually and environmentally significant natural ecosystems. These extreme weather events amplify inequality, disproportionately affecting women, girls, indigenous people and persons with disabilities, especially in rural Pacific areas, due to gender roles, norms and their reliance on natural resources for livelihoods.
The PRESERVE project proposes a holistic approach to improve the resilience of communities and ecosystems in target watersheds. Through facilitated, community-led and owned resilience profiling and planning, the project will support communities to identify their vulnerabilities to climate change, and identify pathways to better absorb and adapt to climate-related shocks and stressors, and transform their communities and natural systems for greater resilience.
Objectives of the project
The project seeks to enhance ecosystem and economic resilience to climate change by addressing vulnerabilities in water security, food production, and livelihoods through Nature-based Solutions, traditional knowledge and sharing, and inclusive governance.
By equipping communities and local authorities with the skills, tools and mechanisms to sustainably manage natural resources, collaborative action will foster equitable access to water and food systems for community members, while improving biodiversity and ecosystem health at the watershed level.
The project particularly emphasises inclusive approaches that empower women, youth and people with a disability in community decision-making processes.
To enhance the resilience of Pacific Islands communities, ecosystems and economies to climate change, the PRESERVE project will act so that:
- Community water supply, food production and livelihoods are more secure and equitable in target watersheds in PNG, Samoa, and Timor-Leste;
- Community leaders and local authorities better protect, restore and manage ecosystem health and biodiversity in target watersheds in PNG, Samoa and Timor-Leste.
- Sub-national authorities and community leaders in PNG, Samoa and Timor-Leste take stronger responsibility for sustainable management and monitoring of resilience interventions.
- Government agencies, communities and practitioners beyond the target watersheds are aware of good practice NbS in water, food and livelihood security.
Social inclusion and gender equity
The project aims to positively impact gender equality, disabilities equity and women’s empowerment and traditional knowledge integration at the community, watershed and sub-national level.
Targeted GEDSI activities include:
- delivering GEDSI sessions at the community level, aimed at shifting awareness of gender, disability, youth and indigenous norms across community members, and
- refining existing tools on GEDSI and NbS and building the capacity of local actors to use these tools aimed at improving sub-national authorities’ understanding of the importance of GEDSI in NbS.
The proposed dialogues aim to shift awareness of gender, disability, youth and indigenous norms across community members. One of the risks in trying to shift gender norms includes either direct or indirect resistance to change. To mitigate resistance to change and to sustain the intended shifts in awareness and practical support, project teams will work together with local authorities and rights groups to participate in consultations and tool development for the testing and refinement of GEDSI approaches. This will foster improved local GEDSI awareness and skills and embed GEDSI practice into subnational authorities' climate governance systems.
