In Timor-Leste, climate change is placing severe stress on aquatic food systems, with floods, cyclones, droughts, and deforestation threatening the livelihoods of fishing and fish farming communities. Even minor shocks can push households below subsistence levels, highlighting the urgent need for locally appropriate adaptation measures.
The IkanAdapt project, funded by the Global Environment Facility and led by FAO in collaboration with WorldFish and Timor-Leste’s Directorate General of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Resource Management, works with 21 communities across seven districts to test bottom-up approaches to climate adaptation. Participatory community meetings (PCMs) allow residents to share their experiences with local climate stressors, identify community strengths, and prioritize interventions that strengthen and diversify livelihoods while remaining ecologically sound.
Seaweed farming on Atauro Island has emerged as a particularly promising adaptation strategy. This regenerative aquatic resource provides nutritious food and income, especially for women, yet farmers face challenges including limited market access, volatile prices, inadequate infrastructure, and climate-induced problems such as ice-ice disease, which damages seaweed crops and slows growth cycles. Farmers like Rosita Gomes have directly experienced these impacts, highlighting the link between climate change and declining seaweed productivity.
To support seaweed farmers, WorldFish collaborates with local cooperatives, providing technical training, expert guidance from Indonesia, and adaptive solutions such as floating seaweed rafts that can be moved to optimize growing conditions. These interventions address both technical challenges and climate vulnerabilities, helping farmers improve the quality and quantity of their harvests.
The project also expands capacity by supplying seedlings to farmers affected by ice-ice, facilitating training on basic business skills, and supporting livelihood diversification to build resilience. By strengthening adaptive capacity at the community level, IkanAdapt empowers farmers to manage climate-related risks while promoting sustainable and resilient aquatic food systems across Timor-Leste.
Related Posts
