Timor-Leste faces water scarcity, seasonal rainfall variability and limited water infrastructure, making climate resilience closely linked to the provision of basic services. To address these challenges, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0 for Timor-Leste, its climate action plan under the Paris Agreement, sets out priorities for tackling climate change. NDC 3.0 for 2026 to 2035 strongly prioritises water security, with a focus on reliable access to safe water and sanitation services.

This focus is particularly important as Timor-Leste faces changing rainfall patterns and climate extremes. The country receives 1,500 to 2,500 mm of rainfall annually, but around 80 per cent falls between December and April. Only about 30 per cent is captured and used, while rapid runoff, limited storage, soil erosion and forest degradation reduce water retention. Droughts, extreme rainfall and saltwater intrusion further strain water resources. Alongside, improving waste management and creating climate-smart infrastructure are important for strengthening resilience. In line with this, between 2023 and 2025 under NDC 2.0, Timor-Leste worked towards developing climate risk information systems, climate-smart standards for water supply, waste management, etc.

Key excerpts from the Timor-Leste’s Nationally Determined Contribution 3.0 (2026-2035) report…

Water landscape, key challenges and measures

Water security is a key priority under Pillar 4 of NDC 3.0, which focuses on building resilience to future climate risks while protecting livelihoods and public health. The NDC emphasises ensuring access to clean water and strengthening WaSH services, while protecting water resources from the impact of changing rainfall patterns, increasing water use and saltwater intrusion in coastal areas.

While around 87 per cent of the population was estimated to have at least basic access to water in 2024, access remains highly uneven and does not necessarily translate into reliable year-round availability. According to the 2022 Census, 54.42 per cent of households experienced a water shortage during the first six months. The problem is particularly pronounced in rural areas, where communities rely heavily on rivers, springs and wells. Groundwater extraction accounts for around 70 per cent of rural water supply and remains unregulated, while saltwater intrusion affects up to 25 per cent of freshwater wells in coastal areas.

The NDC, therefore, highlights an important distinction between basic water access and genuine water security. Only around 28 per cent of the population has water available on premises. Persistent water shortages show that the challenge is not just expanding coverage, but ensuring reliable and safe water supplies. These shortages also affect sanitation and hygiene, as limited water constrains handwashing and toilet flushing, with poor water quality and sanitation affecting nutrition, health and overall well-being.

The government’s response is centred on expanding water distribution while also improving storage and local resilience. Distribution networks currently serve around 90 per cent of households in Dili but only about 15 per cent in remote villages. NDC 3.0 proposes expanding these networks and increasing access to sanitation services nationwide. Alongside conventional infrastructure, the country plans to develop small- and medium-scale reservoirs, promote household and community rainwater harvesting (RWH), and provide rainwater tanks and cisterns to homes, schools and public facilities. The objective is to ensure a supply of up to 50 litres of water per person per day.

In coastal areas affected by saltwater intrusion, solar-powered decentralised desalination systems are being identified as a potential climate-resilient option. Wastewater also remains a key concern, with 47.7 per cent of grey wastewater discharged into sewers that carry untreated wastewater to the sea, posing risks to public health and ecosystems. The NDC also highlights the need for stronger operation and maintenance capacity and local water governance.

Waste management scenario and remedial measures

Waste management is emerging as an important area of environmental and climate action. Timor-Leste already has a regulatory framework for urban solid waste management. Decree Law No. 2/2017 assigns municipalities responsibility for waste collection and treatment, while Decree Law No. 37/2020 restricts the sale, import and production of single-use plastics as part of the country’s zero-plastic policy.

However, implementation of these regulations remains a significant challenge. Waste collection and disposal infrastructure is limited, plastic pollution remains persistent and enforcement and public awareness measures are insufficient. Waste segregation and the recovery of recyclable materials also need to be strengthened. NDC 3.0 seeks to move the sector towards a more integrated waste management and circular economy model. Urban, industrial, household and medical waste have been identified as priority areas. The government plans to seek technical and financial support for solutions, including biogas production, composting and recycling, while using market-based mechanisms and private sector participation to improve the sustainability of waste management.

NDC 3.0 calls for better waste data, expanded recycling infrastructure and stronger public-private partnerships. Strengthening municipal capacity, enforcing plastic restrictions and supporting private recyclers could improve collection and segregation. Furthermore, growing research on composting and biochar is also expected to contribute to both waste reduction and improved agricultural practices.

Financing and key focus areas

The scale of Timor-Leste’s water and waste management ambitions will depend heavily on access to finance and technical support. The NDC explicitly identifies the need for sustainable and predictable international support during the period 2026 to 2035 to accelerate climate-resilient development.

For the water sector, the focus is on community level solutions such as RWH, water storage, watershed management and nature-based solutions (NbS), which can strengthen resilience while benefiting both communities and ecosystems. Besides, the NDC identifies NbS approaches like

water conservation, catchment management, soil bioengineering, etc., as key technologies for strengthening resilience to drought and floods.

For the waste sector, financing will need to support both infrastructure and institutional capacity. Investment is required for collection, segregation, recycling, wastewater treatment and other circular economy solutions.

The way forward

For Timor-Leste, the next phase of climate action will need to move from establishing priorities to delivering reliable services on the ground. In water, this means addressing the gap between nominal water access and actual availability by improving storage, distribution, groundwater management, etc.

Better waste and wastewater management can protect water resources while reducing pollution and creating opportunities for recycling, composting and other circular economy activities. Further, RWH systems, small reservoirs, decentralised desalination, watershed protection and community-based water governance can complement larger infrastructure investments. The NDC’s focus on NbS provides an avenue for combining relatively low-cost interventions with longer-term ecosystem resilience. Ultimately, the challenge ahead is to translate water- and waste-related climate commitments into reliable functioning systems in Timor-Leste. This will require sustained financing, stronger institutions, appropriate technologies and better local capacity.