TIMOR LESTE / COP29 EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

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In Timor-Leste, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, efforts are underway to close the early warning data gap. With support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the country is building a multi-risk disaster management system aimed at safeguarding the lives of its people—an initiative that will ultimately benefit 80 percent of the population. UN NEWS
Description

STORY: TIMOR LESTE / COP29 EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
TRT: 07:06
SOURCE: UN NEWS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / TETUM / NATS

DATELINE: 25 AUGUST 2024, DILI, TIMOR-LESTE / 02 SEPTEMBER 2024, ORLALAN VILLAGE, MANATUTO, TIMOR-LESTE

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Shotlist

02 SEPTEMBER 2024, ORLALAN VILLAGE, MANATUTO, TIMOR-LESTE

1. Various shots, aerial views of village and surrounding mountains, including landslide scars
2. Aerial shot, community centre and drill participants
3. Wide shot, village road
4. Close up, village community centre sign
5. Wide shot, drill participants being briefed
6. Med shot, school children
7. Close up, event banner
8. Med shot, red cross volunteers
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Emidia Belo, Disaster Risk Reduction Manager for the Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL):
“The UN Secretary-General already stated that by the end of 2027 all the community must be informed early warning system to save lives. So, this project really contributes to that.”
10. Wide shot, Belo and red cross volunteers
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Emidia Belo, Disaster Risk Reduction Manager for the Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL):
“We involve the people with disability, we involve the children, we involve the pregnant woman, we involve the elderly people. This is really good because they are the most vulnerable during the disaster situation.”
12. Pan right, village Chief Representative Jose Alves and other participants
13. Various shots, Alves receiving donation of communications equipment
14. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Jose Alves, Suco Chief Representative, Orlalan Village:
“We are really grateful, thanks for the opportunity for that equipment installed in our village. Through that equipment can help us in better preparedness to response to the type of climate induce disaster because we can use to share and disseminate the early warning messages and alert to our community.”
15. Various shots, school children ready to begin drill
16. Various shots, new solar powered speaker broadcasting announcement
17. Aerial shot, drill begins
18. Various shots, pregnant women and people with disabilities being led to safety during drill
19. Various shots, injured children receiving first aid and being led to safety during drill
20. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Armandina Valentina, Community Leader, Orlalan:
“When the big disaster happens back in April 2021, almost all of our community members were affected, including our family. At that time there was heavy rain and landslides in our community.”
21. Various shots, injured child receiving first aid and being led to safety during drill
22. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Armandina Valentina, Community Leader, Orlalan:
“We really appreciate this project activity because it can help us to being prepared before a disaster occurs.”
23. Various shots, injured child receiving first aid and being led to safety during drill
24. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Fretiliana Alves de Araujo, Young Volunteer, Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL):
“The main reason I want to be part of the community volunteers is because this role is saving people’s lives when disaster occurs.”
25. Med shot, Alves de Araujo and other volunteers
26. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Fretiliana Alves de Araujo, Young Volunteer, Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL):
“As a young female volunteer, I would like to encourage my friends and other youth - both female and male - to get involved in the community volunteer activities because we can learn many things, and the most important is saving people’s lives affected by disaster such as landslides.”
27. Various shots, injured children receiving first aid and being led to safety during drill
28. Various shots, villagers, including injured inside shelter
29. Med shot, Antonio Ornai and other persons with disabilities inside shelter
30. SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Antonio Ornai, Person with Disability:
“I feel I am very happy about this exercise. I really appreciate that the Red Cross involved me in this training exercise. I thought that as someone with a disability, I would not be involved, and this activity would be only for normal people, but it is not. I express my heart felt thankfulness that I was allowed to participate.”
31. Med shot, Red Cross leader making announcement
32. Med shot, children with bandages
33. Various shots, the President of Timor Leste’s National Designated Authority for Climate Change Felizberto Duarte speaking through megaphone
34. SOUNDBITE (English) Felizberto Duarte, President, National Designated Authority for Climate Change, Timor Leste:
“Timor-Leste is actually a country that is prone to climate change because we are small island states, and we think that substantial amount of money should be devoted to small countries like us.”
35. Wide shot, group picture

25 AUGUST 2024, DILI, TIMOR-LESTE

36. Various shots, exterior, National Directorate of Meteorology and Geophysics
37. Pan left, weather monitoring screens
38. SOUNDBITE (English)Terêncio Fernandes, Director, National Directorate of Meteorology and Geophysics, Timor-Leste:
“We really appreciate the support that already we have been having here from Green Climate Fund through the UNEP to support our early warning system in here with the modern technology. They will provide 9 AWS, Automatic Weather Station, installed in 8 municipalities.”

02 SEPTEMBER 2024, ORLALAN VILLAGE, MANATUTO, TIMOR-LESTE

39. Wide shot, child entering bamboo home
40. Various shots, disaster prevention banners and posters at local homes and public spaces
41. Wide shot, family outside bamboo home
42. Wide shot, children playing outside

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Storyline

In Timor-Leste, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, efforts are underway to close the early warning data gap. With support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the country is building a multi-risk disaster management system aimed at safeguarding the lives of its people—an initiative that will ultimately benefit 80 percent of the population.

As the world convened for COP29, climate justice took center stage, with a stark reminder that the nations most vulnerable to natural disasters often lack the resources to shield themselves.

In April 2021, catastrophic flash floods ravaged Timor-Leste, claiming the lives of more than 30 people and destroying over 4,000 homes. Among the worst-hit areas was Orlalan, a remote mountainous village with a population of nearly 6,000.

A Community-based Early Warning System that started to take shape in the aftermath of the floods continues today in the form of disaster simulations. UN News recently joined one of these drills in Orlalan, where children play a crucial role.

As Emidia Belo, Disaster Risk Reduction coordinator for the Red Cross of Timor-Leste (CVTL), notes, during a disaster, these volunteers are often the first responders. Their intimate knowledge of local conditions is indispensable, especially when access to affected areas is blocked.

SOUNDBITE (English) Emidia Belo, Disaster Risk Reduction Manager for the Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL):
“The UN Secretary-General already stated that by the end of 2027 all the community must be informed early warning system to save lives. So, this project really contributes to that.”

As a partner organization of UNEP, CVTL is responsible for community preparedness programs in six villages across the country.

SOUNDBITE (English) Emidia Belo, Disaster Risk Reduction Manager for the Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL):
“We involve the people with disability, we involve the children, we involve the pregnant woman, we involve the elderly people. This is really good because they are the most vulnerable during the disaster situation.”

In Orlalan, the evacuation process during a disaster follows a meticulous five-step plan. First, national authorities issue an early warning of the impending danger. Community leaders then meet to assess escape routes and identify safe shelters. This information is broadcast through solar-powered sound systems, reaching even the most remote villages, while volunteers use megaphones to ensure everyone is informed.

During a simple ceremony, Suco Chief Representative Jose Alves received some of this equipment.

SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Jose Alves, Suco Chief Representative, Orlalan Village:
“We are really grateful, thanks for the opportunity for that equipment installed in our village. Through that equipment can help us in better preparedness to response to the type of climate induce disaster because we can use to share and disseminate the early warning messages and alert to our community.”

As the evacuation begins, civil defense teams and first responders trained in first aid are deployed to help those in need. The most vulnerable are prioritized, and once everyone is safely relocated, essential supplies are distributed by the government to the shelters. But the process is not without its challenges.

Community leaders like Armandina Valentina, whose family was affected in the 2021 floods, have taken on the responsibility of educating their neighbors.

SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Armandina Valentina, Community Leader, Orlalan:
“When the big disaster happens back in April 2021, almost all of our community members were affected, including our family. At that time there was heavy rain and landslides in our community.”

Valentina is relentless in her efforts, knocking on doors to make sure every resident knows where to go when disaster strikes. She emphasizes that the most vulnerable—pregnant women, children, and the elderly—must be given special attention to avoid panic.

SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Armandina Valentina, Community Leader, Orlalan:
“We really appreciate this project activity because it can help us to being prepared before a disaster occurs.”

During the exercise, they practice staying in visible areas, protecting their heads, and shouting for help if they’re trapped. Some children simulate injuries and receive first aid, while others follow rescue teams to safe locations.

For young volunteer Fretiliana Alves, these simulations are not just a form of training—they are a calling.

SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Fretiliana Alves de Araujo, Young Volunteer, Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL):
“The main reason I want to be part of the community volunteers is because this role is saving people’s lives when disaster occurs.”

The success of these efforts relies heavily on local volunteers who know the risks and terrain of their communities.

SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Fretiliana Alves de Araujo, Young Volunteer, Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL):
“As a young female volunteer, I would like to encourage my friends and other youth - both female and male - to get involved in the community volunteer activities because we can learn many things, and the most important is saving people’s lives affected by disaster such as landslides.”

What sets UNEP’s preparedness program apart is its inclusivity. Training sessions are tailored to ensure that people with disabilities, children, the elderly, and pregnant women are all adequately equipped for the challenges posed by a disaster. Antonio Ornai, who is visually impaired, participated in a landslide simulation for the first time.

SOUNDBITE (Tetum) Antonio Ornai, Person with Disability:
“I feel I am very happy about this exercise. I really appreciate that the Red Cross involved me in this training exercise. I thought that as someone with a disability, I would not be involved, and this activity would be only for normal people, but it is not. I express my heart felt thankfulness that I was allowed to participate.”

To complement these efforts, Timor-Leste is also making strides in disaster monitoring. As part of UNEP’s initiative, nine Automatic Weather Stations, two Automated Meteorological Observation systems, three radars and a marine buoy are being installed across the country.

SOUNDBITE (English) Felizberto Duarte, President, National Designated Authority for Climate Change, Timor Leste:
“Timor-Leste is actually a country that is prone to climate change because we are small island states, and we think that substantial amount of money should be devoted to small countries like us.”

According to Terêncio Fernandes, Director of the National Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, these technologies will help the country progress from a basic level of climate observation to a more advanced one, with the potential to reach level five—a benchmark for comprehensive, real-time climate data.

SOUNDBITE (English)Terêncio Fernandes, Director, National Directorate of Meteorology and Geophysics, Timor-Leste:
“We really appreciate the support that already we have been having here from Green Climate Fund through the UNEP to support our early warning system in here with the modern technology. They will provide 9 AWS, Automatic Weather Station, installed in eight municipalities.”

The new AWS stations, which are low-cost and can transmit data without the need of the internet, are a game-changer for remote villages like Orlalan. These stations collect critical data on rainfall, wind speed, temperature, and other meteorological factors, transmitting it every minute to a central system for analysis.

The system that is being built in Timor-Leste is not just a national achievement; it is a testament to the power of global cooperation. Much of this progress is the result of decisions made at COP16, where the Green Climate Fund was established to help countries like Timor-Leste climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. As climate negotiations continue at COP29 and beyond, the lessons learned in Timor-Leste could serve as a blueprint for other nations facing similar threats.

For now, the people of Orlalan, and other communities across Timor-Leste, are learning to live with the reality of a changing climate, but they are also preparing for it—together. With technology, knowledge, and community spirit, they are proving that resilience, even in the face of catastrophe, is within reach.

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