Through training, fieldwork and partnerships, communities and researchers are working together to address water and food insecurity in Timor-Leste.
In February 2026, members of the UNSW water community travelled to Timor-Leste for a week to collaborate with partners on a locally led water and food security project.
Through the ACIAR-funded project ‘Towards water and food security in Timor-Leste’, UNSW Global Water Institute (UNSW-GWI) is supporting Permakulture Timor-Leste (Permatil) in its efforts to improve health and livelihoods in rural communities. The visit enabled project partners to build closer ties and further advance critical aspects of the project that are helping to build research and technical capacity among communities.
The visit commenced with a two-day training course for 30 Permatil staff and volunteers on the use of the Food Insecurity Experiences (FIES) Scale and Water Insecurity Experiences (WISE) Scale—survey tools. The training was led by Professor Jacqui Webster of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development at the University of Technology Sydney. The survey tools provide insight into how often, and to what extent, households encounter problems with the access, use, and reliability of water and food. The participants came from six municipalities across Timor-Leste and helped frame the survey questions based on their familiarity with local issues related to water access and food security.
After completing the course, the newly trained ‘enumerators’ spent two days visiting villages within the Alieu, Ermera, Liquica and Dili-Atauro municipalities to complete a pilot survey. Lessons from the pilot were then reviewed collectively, including feedback from community leaders.
Survey enumerator Adelina Gomes Ximenes said, “This experience increased my capacity and my mindset through the activities that we carried out. This work is very important for helping communities and society, especially to respond to daily needs.”
“Through these activities we face the realities and problems of life, and we implement activities that help organise and support the community so that society can understand.”
While together in Timor-Leste, project partners also had the opportunity to visit a Permatil water restoration site and community garden in Aldeia Lerolisa, and to review the progress of activities implemented through this project. Project partners also visited the National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology to see the engineering facilities, including the Geology and Petroleum Department laboratory led by Jovita Da Costa. Jovita and her team are playing an important role in field surveys, data collection and mapping for the project.
The same day, UNSW-GWI Director Professor Greg Leslie and Professor Jacqui Webster were invited to the Presidential Palace in Timor-Leste to celebrate Permatil Executive Director Ego Lemos as he was appointed an Officer of the French Order of Agricultural Merit. The prestigious French ministerial order acknowledges and rewards exceptional services to agriculture, including farming, research and related industries.
The visit concluded with a collaborative workshop where all partners discussed the status of the current project and discussed ideas for future priorities and collaborative projects. Also in attendance at the workshop were representatives from the National Council for Food Security, Sovereignty and Nutrition in Timor-Leste (CONSSAN-TL); WorldFish, Agora Food Studio and the Instituto de Geociências de Timor-Leste (IGTL).
The combination of survey training and piloting, site visits and the stakeholder workshop was valuable in deepening shared understanding of how food and water security challenges intersect in Timor Leste—and where more integrated, practical solutions are possible.
When the food and water security surveys are complete, partners will reconvene to provide detailed feedback to communities and to collectively consider a longer-term action plan informed by the survey findings.
UNSW and UTS are grateful for the support from ACIAR and our partners at Permatil and UNTL.