DILI 3 february 2023 (TATOI)– The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) acknowledged that climate change is impacting the development of agricultural livelihoods and ecotourism in Timor-Leste.
To reduce the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector, USAID Chief Officer of Climate officer and Deputy Assistant Administrator, Gillian Caldwell said USAID had introduced Climate Smart Agriculture to support local Timorese farmers to be resilient to climate change.
“USAID has just launched a new initiative aimed at improving food security, nutrition, and crisis resilience in Timor-Leste. In essence, USAID has provided a $4 million funded agricultural project that will increase efficient and climate-smart food production and processing, also focusing on increasing farmers’ access to markets and increasing the availability of nutritious food,” USAID’s Chief Climate Change Officer told reporters at Timor Plaza, Maubara room, this Friday.
At the same time, Caldwell said, he had traveled to Hera and Atauro to access local farmer activities and see small business owners around Atauro Island who had received support from USAID.
“I heard directly from business owners, civil society organizations, and others about the impact of climate change on their lives and activities, therefore USAID has decided to provide additional funds of 150 million USD to advance the agricultural sector in Timor-Leste by 2030,”
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia B.
