On March 31^st, 2021, Timor-Leste shared its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to the UNFCCC, making the total number of NAPs from developing countries in NAP Central to 22.

Timor-Leste is an island country in Southeast Asia. Timor-Leste is particularly vulnerable to floods, droughts, landslides, and sea level rise. The increasing frequency and intensity of these extreme climate events is negatively affecting the strategic sectors of the country, namely: infrastructure; biodiversity and ecosystems; health; agriculture; water; and tourism.

Given the high vulnerability of the country, the specific objectives of the NAP are:

1. To reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by building adaptive capacity and resilience; and
2. To facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation, in a coherent manner, into relevant new and existing policies, programs and activities, in particular development planning processes and strategies, within all relevant sectors and at different levels, as appropriate.

The NAP initiative has been led by the National Directorate for Climate Change (NDCC), who designed it in accordance with the Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030. The overall vision of the Timor-Leste NAP is to build a climate-resilient development trajectory for the country and its people.

The plan outlined seven strategic adaptation priorities, namely:

1. Strengthening the capacity of national, local institutions and communities in managing climate risks (floods, droughts, landslides);
2. Addressing the needs of indigenous and vulnerable communities and groups;
3. Using ecosystem-based DRR in coastal areas and coral reefs;
4. Improving water resources management under climate change;
5. Promoting sustainable land management under climate change;
6. Improving public health services to deal with climate-related public health issues;
7. Building climate-resilient livelihoods.

Timor-Leste NAP is available in English and can be downloaded here.