Locations"Empowering Communities Through Climate-Resilient Infrastructure and Inclusive Agroforestry in Venilale"
A Flow of Hope: How a Revitalized Irrigation System is Transforming Lives in Fatulia, Timor-Leste
August 3, 2025
Community members in Fatulia can now easily open and close the water gate without needing to build temporary barriers manually.
Julio Guterres/ UNDP Timor-Leste
Suco Fatulia, a peaceful rural area located in the Administrative Post of Venilale, had long faced water insecurity that made farming an uncertain and difficult task. During the rainy season, families in Aldeia Bahadatu and surrounding communities like Osowaki and Uaibai were forced to fetch water manually through damaged and muddy footpaths. With no functional irrigation system, agricultural activities were limited, food security was fragile, and the burden on farmers - especially during the wet season - was immense. The dream of reliable and sufficient water for farming remained out of reach for many years. This chronic water scarcity not only undermined livelihoods but also deepened vulnerability to climate shocks, trapping communities in cycles of subsistence and seasonal hunger.
A scenic view of the 450-meter rehabilitated irrigation channel in the rice fields of Fatulia, captured during the harvest season. The system now supports year-round farming and reflects the community’s resilience and agricultural progress.
Julio Guterres/UNDP Timor-Leste
This began to change in 2023, when the Government of Timor-Leste, with support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched a project aimed at building community resilience against climate-induced disasters. Under the initiative “Safeguarding Rural Communities and Their Physical Assets from Climate-Induced Disasters in Timor-Leste,” the Fatulia Irrigation Channel rehabilitation was prioritized as a key intervention. As a targeted adaptation measure, the project reflects GCF’s mission to finance high-impact, locally led solutions that reduce climate risk in the most vulnerable communities. The project, with a budget of $65,000, began in May 2023 and was completed in November 2023, marking a new chapter for the farmers of Fatulia. By restoring a critical piece of climate-resilient infrastructure in just six months, the intervention delivered rapid, tangible benefits demonstrating how small-scale, well-designed projects can catalyze long-term agricultural transformation and community empowerment.
The intervention involved the complete rehabilitation of a 450-meter irrigation channel. This included the construction of a new intake structure, installation of water control gates, stone masonry lining for the canal, and slope stabilization through gabion walls to protect against erosion and landslides. Soil-bioengineering techniques were introduced along vulnerable sections of the channel, complemented by extensive revegetation efforts and the planting of thousands of trees and fruit species. In total, over 18,600 trees were planted in 17 farm lots across 21.9 hectares, with 12 farming households directly benefiting from the agroforestry initiative. These nature-based solutions not only reinforce the structural integrity of the irrigation system but also restore degraded land, sequester carbon, and increase biodiversity, contributing to long-term ecosystem resilience. The combination of irrigation and agroforestry interventions has empowered community members - especially women - to pursue more climate-resilient livelihoods. By integrating food crops with fruit trees and native species, families now have diversified sources of nutrition and income, reducing their dependence on single harvests and increasing their ability to withstand climate shocks.
A farmer walks along the top of the irrigation channel, carrying a sickle and harvesting tools in hand, heading to the rice field to collect the harvest.
Julio uterres/ UNDP Timor-Leste
The Fatulia Irrigation System now directly benefits three communities: Aldeia Bahadatu, Osowaki, and Uaibai, with more than 1,000 people using the system. In Aldeia Bahadatu alone, there are 251 households, and across the entire Suco Fatulia, a total of 918 people across 157 households have benefitted from improved water access and agricultural productivity. This targeted investment has transformed seasonal, rain-fed farming into a more reliable and productive system, directly supporting Timor-Leste’s national goals for food security and rural development.
For the people of Fatulia, this was more than an infrastructure upgrade - it was a turning point. According to Mrs. Ermezinda da Costa Gusmão, Chief of Aldeia Bahadatu, water access was a serious challenge. “During the rainy season, people had to fetch water manually using narrow, muddy paths, which made the work difficult. Now, more than 1,000 people from our aldeia and the neighboring ones are using the new irrigation system,” she said. “It has improved the water quality and volume, which helps us grow rice, corn, and vegetables better than before.” Her words reflect a broader transformation: with reliable water and restored land, farmers are investing more in their fields, children are less burdened by water collection, and women are taking leadership roles in managing water and agroforestry plots. As a GCF-supported intervention, the Fatulia project exemplifies how small-scale, community-led adaptation can deliver outsized resilience dividends when combined with ecosystem restoration and inclusive planning.
This transformation is echoed by farmer Mr. Domingos de Deus, who has worked the land since the Indonesian era. Before the rehabilitation, he said, water was often too scarce to serve all farmers. “Now, the water is sufficient. This year alone, I harvested 38 sacks of rice, and in good years, I can reach 50 sacks. That was impossible in the past.” His increased yield is not just a personal victory, it reflects a systemic shift from climate-vulnerable subsistence farming to a more secure, productive, and adaptive agricultural model.
The irrigation system also supports farmers in extending cultivation beyond rice. After the main rice harvest, families now use irrigated land to grow corn, vegetables, and other crops during the dry season - maximizing the use of both land and water year-round. Although attempts to grow rice twice a year were limited by livestock damage from pigs and chickens, families have successfully adapted by switching crops for the second planting season. This adaptive crop rotation demonstrates the community’s growing capacity to innovate and manage risk, a key component of long-term climate resilience.As a result, the system has strengthened year-round food availability and economic resilience at the household level. Families are now able to reduce food gaps, generate surplus for local markets, and build savings for education, healthcare, and emergencies.
Beneficiaries also highlighted that access to consistent irrigation has reduced dependence on rain-fed farming, lowered labor demands, and enabled multiple crop cycles. The labor-intensive burden of manually collecting water has been replaced by efficient water flow through controlled irrigation channels. This reduction in drudgery particularly for women and youth is a quiet but profound social transformation, freeing up time for education, rest, and income-generating activities beyond farming.
Mrs. Alda Pereira helps her neighbors harvest rice in the field. As part of a cultural and social tradition, farmers support each other during the harvest season to speed up the process and ensure everyone can complete their harvest on time.
Julio Guterres/ UNDP Timor-Leste
The project also exemplifies a strong commitment to gender equality and social inclusion. During implementation, it created approximately 206 worker days of employment, with at least 30% of the participants being women. This target exceeds standard benchmarks for women’s participation in infrastructure projects in rural Timor-Leste, reflecting intentional efforts to break gender barriers in male-dominated sectors. One notable example is Mrs. Alda Pereira, a woman with a physical disability who participated directly in the construction and reforestation components of the project. Her involvement not only contributed to her household income but also reflects the project’s firm adherence to inclusive employment and its gender and social inclusion goals. By ensuring accessibility in labor practices and valuing diverse contributions, the project fosters dignity, agency, and community-wide recognition of people with disabilities as active agents of change.
Mrs. Alda, a mother of four, also benefited from the agroforestry program by receiving 1,060 tree seedlings, which she planted in her backyard using water from the new irrigation system. These trees now form a productive nursery that provides a sustainable source of food and income for her family. Her nursery includes fruit trees such as mango, banana, and citrus, which not only diversify her household’s diet but also generate regular income from local sales, reducing reliance on external markets. Her experience highlights how the project has opened new livelihood opportunities for vulnerable groups while supporting long-term environmental restoration. As a woman with a disability, Mrs. Alda’s success challenges social norms. It demonstrates the transformative power of inclusive development where access to resources and participation in decision-making enables marginalized individuals to become leaders in climate resilience.
The benefits of the irrigation system go beyond farming. The increased presence of water on agricultural land contributes to groundwater recharge, helping ensure year-round water availability. This hydrological benefit enhances the climate resilience of the entire watershed, making the community less vulnerable to prolonged dry spells. The agroforestry component also improves soil retention, biodiversity, and land stability, while providing long-term economic value to future generations through timber and fruit production. By integrating trees into farmland, the project is building carbon sinks at the community level, aligning with national and global climate mitigation goals. This dual benefit underscores the project’s role in nature-positive development.
The rehabilitated irrigation system in Fatulia is not only used for rice cultivation - it also supports vegetable farming and other crops. With year-round water access, the community now grows a variety of produce to improve food security and household income.
Julio Guterres/ UNDP Timor-Leste
Beneficiary testimonials confirm that project support has strengthened both economic resilience and food security at the household level, with examples such as Mr. Domingos de Deus increasing his rice yield and Mrs. Alda Pereira gaining new income and sustainability through agroforestry. These individual stories reflect a broader shift: households are moving from survival mode to strategic planning, investing in land, diversifying crops, and saving surplus income for education and health.
In summary, the Fatulia Irrigation Scheme represents a powerful example of how climate-resilient infrastructure, inclusive community engagement, and sustainable land use can transform vulnerable farming communities. Backed by the Green Climate Fund and implemented with national ownership, it exemplifies a scalable model for adaptation in smallholder agricultural systems across Timor-Leste and other climate-vulnerable regions. As more households prepare for upcoming planting seasons, they do so with greater resilience, increased income opportunities, and the knowledge that clean, reliable water now flows not just through their fields - but into their future. The project is not only changing landscapes; it is nurturing hope, dignity, and intergenerational well-being in a community once defined by scarcity.
Even during the harvest season, some farmers continue planting rice for a second cycle after completing the first harvest. With improved water availability, they are encouraged to replant, combining rice with corn and other crops to maximize land use and productivity.
Julio Guterres/ UNDP Timor-Leste
About the GCF - UNDP Project
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a global fund created to support developing countries in responding to the challenges of climate change. As the world’s largest dedicated climate fund, GCF was established under the UNFCCC to catalyze transformative, low-emission, and climate-resilient development in vulnerable nations, with a strong emphasis on country ownership, private sector engagement, and equitable access to climate finance.
In Timor-Leste, GCF has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement the project “Safeguarding Rural Communities and Their Physical Assets from Climate-Induced Disasters.”
The project aims to strengthen climate resilience through the construction and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure such as rural roads, irrigation systems, and water supply facilities.
Designed as a large-scale adaptation intervention, it targets some of the country's most climate-vulnerable communities, where poverty, geographic isolation, and exposure to extreme weather intersect to deepen risk. By integrating nature-based solutions and inclusive development principles, the GCF-UNDP project promotes sustainable livelihoods, reduces vulnerability, and builds long-term adaptive capacity in rural areas most impacted by climate change. It prioritizes gender-responsive planning, community-based management, and ecosystem-based adaptation, core elements of GCF’s investment criteria, ensuring that resilience is not only built into infrastructure but also into local institutions and social systems. As a result, the project supports Timor-Leste’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) goals, advancing both national climate priorities and global climate resilience targets.
“With reliable water flowing through our fields, Fatulia is no longer defined by scarcity - it's a community growing with strength, resilience, and hope.”
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