Chapter 12 Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste is a small, island country situated between South East Asia, Australia, and the Pacific, where it shares a unique mix of climates from all three neighboring regions ( Kirono, 2010 ). The country achieved independence in 2002 having suffered over 400 years of colonialism and foreign occupation, first by the Portuguese and then by the Indonesians ( Sandlund et al., 2001 ). The post-referendum troubles in 1999 left Timor-Leste with seriously damaged infrastructure and relatively little economic activity ( Hill, 2001 ). However, since 1999, the country has made significant steps forward and despite some upheaval in 2006 has significantly developed in terms of infrastructure and economic activity. Nonetheless, Timor-Leste, as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) also has a number of other vulnerabilities and challenges to contend with including its mountainous region, relative isolation, dependence upon agriculture, and high levels of unemployment. Timor-Leste has a land mass of 14,874km 2 with a population of approximately 1 million, which is rapidly increasing ( Government of Timor-Leste, 2010 ). The country is dominated by the central Mountain range of Ramelau with as much as 44% of Timor-Leste's land having a slope of more than 40% and over 70% of the country's population dependent upon agriculture for their livelihood ( Sandlund et al., 2001 ).