DILI, 26 april 2022 (TATOLI)—Timor-Leste Permaculture (PERMATIL) conducts water conservation in Dare to mitigate the impact of natural disasters such as floods, landslides, erosion before they occur.
PERMATIL Executive Director, Ego Lemos said, since 2019, PERMATIL has been working with the community in Dare to build 70 traditional water barriers to protect and conserve water springs.
He realized that water conservation had become a common problem and an issue that needed attention. Therefore, the construction of retaining springs is important to support water infrastructure and maintain the stability of the springs to avoid a long dry season.
“PERMATIL took the initiative to work with local governments and communities to conserve water to prevent a long dry season and avoid natural disasters,” said Lemos during an interview with Tatoli in Fatsuka Dare Village.
PERMATIL observes that water conservation will have a real impact on the people living in the city of Dili during the rainy season.
The water conservation system will restore the natural ecology, after building a small dam for water conservation, wild animals are looking for new habitats close to the springs.
Minister of Public Works, Abel Pires appreciated the excellent ideas that help the government to mitigate and prevent long-term natural disasters.
“Every year the government spends a lot of money to recover Dili from natural disasters and this is because of the increasing volume of water coming from the mountains, this is because there is no water barrier that can block the flow of water causing damage to buildings, bridges, and highways, therefore We agree that this must be prevented,” he said.
Pires promised to support PERMATIL with heavy equipment to build more water barriers in the mountains around the capital Dili.
Pires also added that this year, the Government will focus on the capital city of Dili while the conservation process will be carried out in various municipalities next year.
From 2008 until now, PERMATIL has successfully rehabilitated and created more than 300 springs in more than 200 villages across Timor-Leste.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia Borges
