Locations“How climate-resilient roads, water systems, and agroforestry are transforming lives and landscapes in rural Timor-Leste.”
Building Resilience in Liquiçá: Roads, Water, and Community at the Heart of Climate Action
June 19, 2025
Community members inspect the newly constructed climate-resilient road in Aldeia Bautalo, Suco Lisadila, Administrative Post of Maubara, Municipality of Liquiçá. The 2.3 km road, rehabilitated under the GCF-UNDP project, enhances access to markets, health services, and schools for over 4,700 rural residents.
Jose Pinto/ UNDP Timor-Leste
Located along the northern coast of Timor-Leste, Liquiçá Municipality spans approximately 549 square kilometers and is home to more than 75,000 people, according to the 2022 Timor-Leste Population and Housing Census. Bordered by Dili to the east, Ermera to the south, and Bobonaro to the west, Liquiçá is characterized by steep mountainous terrain, coastal lowlands, and rural settlements spread across three administrative posts: Bazartete, Maubara, and Liquiçá. While rich in natural beauty and agricultural potential, the municipality faces persistent challenges related to isolation, limited infrastructure, and vulnerability to climate-induced disasters.
Liquiçá’s development is constrained by a combination of geographical barriers and environmental risks. Seasonal flooding, landslides, droughts, and coastal erosion frequently disrupt daily life, threaten livelihoods, and limit access to markets, health services, and education. As climate change intensifies these challenges, rural communities are increasingly exposed to physical, social, and economic vulnerabilities.
In response, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have joined forces through the project "Safeguarding Rural Communities and Their Physical Assets from Climate-Induced Disasters." This intervention targets high-risk areas across Timor-Leste - including Liquiçá - by building resilient infrastructure, restoring degraded land, and strengthening local capacity to manage climate risks.
The project aligns with Timor-Leste’s Strategic Development Plan 2011 - 2030, which prioritizes rural infrastructure and climate resilience, as well as the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). UNDP’s vision to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity is embedded in the approach taken in Liquiçá.
Series of photos capture the progress of climate-resilient road construction in Liquiçá Municipality. They include completed roads in Kaigeremeta (Suco Lisadila) and Lika (Suco Maubara), as well as ongoing works on the Poboa Road in Suco Lauhata. The images also highlight agroforestry interventions—such as tree planting and vegetation cover - implemented alongside the roads to protect slopes, prevent erosion, and enhance the long-term sustainability of the infrastructure.
Jose Pinto/ UNDP Timor-Leste
Reconnecting Lives in Kaigeremeta and Lauhata
The first two GCF-supported interventions in Liquiçá began in 2022, marking a new era of connectivity and access for rural families. In Kaigeremeta, Suco Lisadila, a 2.3 km stretch of road was rehabilitated by local contractor Superior Lda, reaching completion in December 2023. With an investment of USD 210,297, the improved road now benefits over 4,700 people.
More than just a road, this development opens a lifeline for farmers transporting red bananas, cassava, coffee, candlenut, and livestock to nearby markets in Maubaralisa. For women and children, the road means better access to health services and education. It has strengthened outreach programs like SISCa and created safer, faster connections to the local health centre.
In Suco Lauhata, a second road project rehabilitated a 2.049 km segment, carried out by Banirlema Lda with a budget of USD 170,263. Completed in 2023, it now serves over 2,000 residents across five aldeias. The road facilitates the movement of vegetables, livestock, and tobacco to Bazartete, strengthening the local economy and improving access to administrative services.
Managing Water, Managing Risk: Vaviquinia Drainage Project
Drainage may not draw the same attention as new roads, but in climate-vulnerable communities like Vaviquinia, it is a game changer. In December 2024, the project completed the construction of a critical drainage system in Suco Vaviquinia, Maubara, with a total investment of USD 60,512.30. Implemented by local contractor Luliana Lda, the system benefits more than 1,000 residents.
By effectively managing rainwater, the drainage protects homes and paths from seasonal flooding. It also reduces erosion, prevents contamination of water sources, and secures safer movement for families living along the main village routes. This is the type of adaptation that quietly but powerfully builds resilience against future climate shocks.
Drainage system in Suco Vaviquinia, Maubara, Liquiçá Municipality, constructed under the GCF-UNDP project. With a total length of 745 meters, the system helps prevent seasonal flooding and erosion, protecting nearby homes and paths while improving safety and access for over 1,000 residents.
Jose Pinto/ UNDP Timor-Leste
Poboa Road: A Vital Artery for Fatumasi and Lauhata
Currently under construction and expected to be completed in July 2025, the 6.7 km Poboa Road project is one of the largest in the Liquiçá municipality. Implemented by contractors Superior and Renaissance, and funded with USD 613,274, the project directly benefits 2,682 people in Suco Fatumasi and Suco Lauhata. But its indirect impacts stretch even further.
Once completed, the road will dramatically improve access between Bazartete and the capital town of Liquiçá. Community members will be able to move agricultural products more efficiently to urban markets, while also gaining easier access to education, health, and public services. The road will also provide a critical route during emergencies, enhancing disaster preparedness.
What Lies Ahead: Infrastructure and Water Access in 2025
Looking forward, two additional projects are planned for 2025. The first will rehabilitate road infrastructure in Aldeia Kirilelo, Suco Dato, Administrative Post of Liquiçá. The second will provide a clean water supply system in Suco Fatumasi, Bazartete. Both projects are awaiting government approval for a project implementation extension, and once approved, will expand the benefits of climate-proofed infrastructure to even more families. Clean water access, in particular, addresses one of the most pressing and persistent challenges in rural Liquiçá. The integration of climate-resilient water systems will reduce vulnerability to droughts and water-borne disease, while enabling year-round agricultural activity.
Nature-Based Solutions Through Local Partnerships
In addition to physical infrastructure, the project supports ecosystem-based adaptation through local NGOs RAEBEA and PERMATIL. These organizations are implementing agroforestry initiatives alongside infrastructure projects, stabilizing slopes and restoring degraded lands. The approach enhances environmental resilience, protects infrastructure, and creates long-term livelihoods for farming households. Thousands of trees are being planted in vulnerable areas around roads and drainage systems, helping to reduce erosion, increase soil fertility, and improve microclimates. These measures exemplify the project’s holistic strategy: combining engineering solutions with ecological restoration.
A Foundation for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth
In total, more than 10,500 residents across Liquiçá are benefiting from these GCF-financed initiatives. Beyond the numbers, the projects are making rural life safer, healthier, and more hopeful. Roads mean access. Drainage means safety. Water systems mean dignity. Agroforestry means sustainability.
By embedding climate risk reduction into infrastructure development, UNDP and GCF are supporting Timor-Leste’s path to resilient development. The Liquiçá experience shows that with the right investments, even the most vulnerable communities can transform. As construction continues and new projects take shape, one thing is certain: Liquiçá is not just being connected by roads and pipes. It is being connected by resilience, equity, and the promise of a better future.
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