Timor-Leste has faced many challenges on its path to independence, but today faces even more – environmental degradation, deforestation, poor water security, poverty and food insecurity, with climate change only magnifying these issues.  

In response, local Timorese NGO Permatil (Permaculture Timor-Leste) have been working through permaculture to build food-sovereignty, environmental restoration and social change. From developing community-driven multi-year education programmes, creating a range of globally used education resources, teaching government agriculture workers and NGO staff, building nation-wide youth movements and getting permaculture and school gardens into the national primary school curriculum. 

Their new water restoration initiative harnesses Timor-Leste’s wet season rains, stores and then filters them through the ground using swales, trenches, small dams, reforestation and animal exclusion techniques. As a result, dry springs are replenishing, the ecology is responding well and water security for villages and crops is improving. 

This session will be presented by Permatil staff, local farmers, teachers and students, who will talk about the projects and their impacts.