How Timor-Leste Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA)

Timor-Leste has utilized its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process to mainstream Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), treating it as one of 14 guiding principles to link environmental protection with climate action. The NAP, ratified in September 2020 and submitted to the UNFCCC in March 2021, identifies 107 adaptation action items across seven priority sectors and programs over a 10-year horizon (2020–2030). A key feature of the implementation is the use of Tarabandu, a traditional customary rule system, to engage local communities in EbA measures. The process emphasizes cross-sectoral coordination, gender-responsive analysis, and alignment with international frameworks like the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework. The government aims to establish a national monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning (MERL) framework by 2022 to track progress in the biodiversity and ecosystems sector.

• Timor-Leste's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) establishes Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) as one of 14 guiding principles to ensure that adaptation efforts and environmental protection provide mutual benefits.
• The NAP process is structured around a 10-year horizon (2020–2030) and includes 107 adaptation action items distributed across seven priority sectors—infrastructure, biodiversity and ecosystem, health, agriculture, water, disaster risk reduction, and tourism—and seven priority programs.
• The government utilizes Tarabandu, a traditional customary rule system based on public agreement and social consensus, as a primary mechanism for implementing community-led EbA and strengthening local resilience.
• Timor-Leste has aligned its NAP with multiple international commitments to create synergies between adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity protection, specifically citing the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• To address the lack of continuous observation networks, the NAP team intends to develop a national monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning (MERL) framework by 2022, including specific indicators for the biodiversity and ecosystems sector.
• The NAP integrates climate resilience with national development and post-conflict priorities, specifically aligning with the Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030 to link EbA with poverty eradication and economic growth.

APA

Qi, J. (2021). How Timor-Leste Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA). International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/napgn-en-2021-timor-leste-using-nap-scale-up-eba.pdf

Chicago

Qi, Jeffrey. How Timor-Leste Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA). International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/napgn-en-2021-timor-leste-using-nap-scale-up-eba.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Qi |first1=Jeffrey |title=How Timor-Leste Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2021 |url=https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/napgn-en-2021-timor-leste-using-nap-scale-up-eba.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{qi2021how, author = {Qi, Jeffrey}, title = {{How Timor-Leste Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA)}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/napgn-en-2021-timor-leste-using-nap-scale-up-eba.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }