Clean water and sanitation are in line with SDG 6 and the Government of Timor-Leste is working to provide clean water and sanitation to its citizens. As part of this, the Government has initiated master plans for several cities. Following liaison with stakeholders (i.e., Bee Timor Leste – BTL and National Authority for Water and Sanitation – ANAS) through various meetings and consultations, a team from the PPI- Programme[1] subsequently carried out field visits in 6 Municipalities from 4 January until 9 February 2022, with a total of 18 working days. The Municipalities visited were 2 clusters of 3 Municipal Capitals (Aileu, Liquica, Gleno, Ainaro, Suai, and Maliana). Master plans will be ready in March 2022 for these cities. Furthermore, at the request of the Ministry of Planning and Territories, the sites of the proposed dams on Gleno and Railaco rivers in the Ermera Municipality were also visited.
Introductory Meeting with President of Bobonaro Municipal Authority, accompanied by Bobonaro BTL Coordinator, 3/2/2022Introductory Meeting with Liquica BTL Coordinator, 4/1/2022
The field visit activity was intended to gain several outputs, one such as, data and information collection pertinent to the existing and proposed water supply and sanitation system by applying a GPS software, additional questionnaires and establishing a photo registry. Furthermore, it was also aimed to establish closer cooperation between the PPI-Programme team with municipal authorities and BTL. Along with BTL local technicians’ assistance, the team visited a number of water sources, extraction points, storage, treatment, distribution, private and public toilets, septic tanks, up to septage delivery and final treatment. Deriving GPS locations were also performed during the site visits at the proposed location of future dams of Gleno and Railaco Rivers.
Visit to one of several water tanks in Aileu city, 4/1/2022Railaco future dam site, 13/1/2022
Public Toilet in Maliana, 7/2/2022
Existing and proposed facilities are not only situated in urban areas but also rural, mountainous and sacred areas, which is why the team had to ensure everything followed local traditional customs as part of respecting the local community as well as safety measures of the team members during work performance.
The overall activity was considered successful and fruitful and will contribute to the pre-feasibility studies for the locations recommended by the PPI-Programme Steering Committee.
For more information please contact:
Mr Jan Drozdz, PPIP Team Leader, jadrx(at)cowi.com
Mr Kong Kiong Mu, PPIP Project Coordinator, kkmux(at)cowi.com
[1] The Project Preparation and Implementation Programme for Timor-Leste is an EIB executed technical assistance operation which is financed from the European Development Fund, under the Investment Facility for the Pacific (IFP) and under the Cotonou Agreement.
The COWI Project Director, Michael Jacobsen completed an initial mission to Timor-Leste from the 16th March 2022 to 30th March 2022.
The objectives of the mission were to: (i) meet with key Project stakeholders including the promoter, potential beneficiaries, as well as development partners and potential local collaboration partners; (ii) have a dialogue with key stakeholders on the selected potential investment projects in the solid waste management, water supply and sanitation and forestry sectors, (iii) gain an understanding of field conditions through a field visit, and, (iv) review the project status and future planned activities with the Project Coordinator, Mr Kassius Klei Ximenes.
Michael Jacobsen says “I was honored to be able to meet the Vice Prime Minister/Minister of Planning and Territory, H.E. Mr Jose Maria dos Reis; Minister of State Administration, H.E. Mr Miguel Pereira de Carvalho; Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Pedro dos Reis and the Vice Minister of Finance, Mr Antonio Freitas, as well as the President of Bee Timor-Leste and President of ANAS”. He also met Mr Severin Mellac from the European Union Delegation (EUD) and a number of other stakeholders. An important part of this mission was to also meet with the local COWI team and the PPIP Focal Point Mr Kassius Klei Ximenes in person rather than virtually.
The Project Director and team members conducted short field visits to the Municipalities of Liquica and Ermera where they saw first-hand the operational and maintenance issues in the water and sanitation sector.
The key mission findings include:
GENERAL
The meeting with the EUD made it clear that the EUD is supporting Governance and the Green Economy and that there is potential for close collaboration with the EIB in support to the Forestry sector.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SECTOR
The team is in a dialogue with the Government on the potential for an EIB co-funded intervention in the SWM sector seems clear: Support to a national (outside Dili) comprehensive municipal solid waste management system which collects at least two fractions (dry and wet) and is supported by a deposit refund system for certain types of packaging. Dili is already covered under a separate (ADB supported) project.
WATER SUPPLY & SANITATION SECTOR
COWI’s Project Director noted that there are many development partners active in the Water Supply and Sanitation sector. Following a decision by the projects steering committee in February 2022, the team is in a dialogue with Bee T-L and the Government on the potential for EIB support to the planned water supply and sanitation projects in Aileu, Maliana, Suai, Gleno, Liquica and Ainaro.
FORESTRY SECTOR
The meetings related to forestry sector confirmed support by Government stakeholders to the decision taken at the 10 February 2022 Project Steering Committee meeting.
At the same time, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries emphasized the importance of irrigation dams for productive activities and employment.
The Mission notes that the EUD multi-annual indicative programme contains funding under the 2026 and 2027 Action Programs, which could line up with an EIB support (loan) to the sector
Meeting with the PPIP Focal Point Mr Kassius Klei Ximenes, 18th March 2022Meeting with President of BTL, Mr Carlos Peloi dos Reis, 21st March 2022Meeting with the President of ANAS, Dr Domingos Pinto, 21st March 2022Meeting with the Vice Prime Minister/Minister of Planning and Territory, H.E. Mr Jose Maria dos Reis, 22nd March 2022.Meeting with the Minister of State Administration, H.E. Mr Miguel Pereira de Carvalho, 24th March 2022Field visit to Ermera, 25thMarch 2022Meeting with the Vice Minister of Finance, H.E. Mr Antonio Freitas 29th March 2022
On January 21, more than 10 participants from the BEE Timor-Leste (BTL), Ministry of Planning and Territory (MOP), National Authority of Water and Sanitation (ANAS), participated in a workshop showing experience from internal projects in the water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector.
Innovation workshop in Dili and virtually the 21th of January 2022
The first session by Mr. Jan Drozdz, PPIP Team Leader, presented projects to reduce non-revenue-water (NRW) in Cambodia and Vietnam. While the state-owned Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority’s spectacular success in reducing NRW from 72% to 7% was mainly due to its outstanding leadership, which paid much attention to harnessing staff knowledge and capabilities along with putting in place a clear performance framework, in Ho Chi Minh City, the key success factor to reduce NRW was to associate the private sector in performance-based contract for outsourcing technical, commercial, and construction activities related to NRW reduction, providing the contractor with incentives to achieve the desired results. Both cases raised interest from the participants, since the Dili water supply system shows high levels of NRW.
The second sessions by Dr. Brace Boyden, PPIP WSS Key Expert, presented how water utilities in Australia were able to reduce their grid energy consumption and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions using solar panels. Since electricity consumption is an important share of operational costs for water supply and treatment, installing solar panels can also provide important economic returns for water utilities. Some existing successful projects in Timor-Lest could be used as a reference to build on.
The PPIP, supported by the European Union and the European Investment Bank, aims to support the identification, preparation, and implementation of technically, financially, economically, environmentally, and socially sound investment projects in the forestry, solid waste, and water and sanitation sectors.
The SWM Innovation Workshop presented successful projects in the solid waste sector, including the utilization of Black Soldier Fly Larvae for organic waste management, and deposit return systems for Timor-Leste.
On 23 February, more than 25 participants representing various stakeholders (e.g., ANAS, DMA, NDA, BTL, E.P., MPO, MSA, NAO) participated in a workshop showing experience from international projects in the solid waste sector.
Participants of the Innovation workshop in Dili and virtually on 23 February 2022
After an introduction of Mr. Jan Drozdz, PPIP Team Leader, and opening remarks by Mr Kassius Klei, MPO Focal Point for the PPIP, Mr Jan Skajaa, COWI Waste Expert, presented the key features of sanitary landfilling. The presentation focused on the differences between random dumping in uncontrolled dumpsites and depositing waste in engineered landfills, designed for the purpose. Such landfills will for example be equipped with systems for extracting gas from the waste, suitable for utilization as fuel thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The second session by Ms Sekti Mulatsih, Waste Expert from Indonesia, presented an on-going project on biowaste processing using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae in Indonesia. Biowaste processing using BSF Larvae may be an option for rural areas in Timor-Leste as it is easy to manage. The products of the process are fish or chicken fodder, and organic fertilizer.
Following this, a proposal for a deposit return system (buy-back systems) for beverage containers and other recyclables for Timor-Leste was introduced. Such system will be building on the private sector’s participation and motivation and mutual interest. Experience show that very high return rates and thus high degree of recycling can be achieved along with other positive effects. A deposit return system can complement other recycling programs, extend the usable lifetime of the landfill and most importantly, enhance public health and prevent pollution in general.
The Project Preparation and Implementation Programme (PPIP)[1], supported by the European Union and the European Investment Bank, aims to support the identification, preparation, and implementation of technically, financially, economically, environmentally, and socially sound investment projects in the forestry, solid waste, and water and sanitation sectors.
For more information please contact:
Mr Jan Drozdz, PPIP Team Leader, jadrx(at)cowi.com Mr Kong Kiong Um, PPIP Project Coordinator, kkmux(at)cowi.com
[1] The Project Preparation and Implementation Programme for Timor-Leste is an EIB executed technical assistance operation which is financed from the European Development Fund, under the Investment Facility for the Pacific (IFP) and under the Cotonou Agreement.
On December 21, employees of the Ministry of Planning and Territory, Dili Municipality Administration, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of State Administration, Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery participated in a workshop about a digital tool for field data collection.
GIS workshop in Dili and virtually the 21th of December 2021
The PPIP, supported by the European Union and the European Investment Bank, aims to support the identification, preparation, and implementation of technically, financially, economically, environmentally, and socially sound investment projects in the forestry, solid waste, and water and sanitation sectors.
In this context, the COWI implementation team carried a field campaign to identify waste disposal sites using a digital tool for data collection. The tool was used to collect and store digital field observations, such as location, extend, characteristics, and photos of disposal sites. The workshop was the opportunity to familiarize Government employees with the tool, the ODK Collect App, and to present findings and lesson learnt from the field campaign.
Mr. Fernandinho Noronha, who took part in the field campaign stated: “It was proven during the Solid Waste Management field trip that the ODK Collect App is a very practical and easy to use tool that does not require too much training on how to use it in the field.”
Participants appreciated the fact that it could work offline and was open-source and showed interest in being able to use the tool independently. Mr. Kassius Klei, from the Ministry of Planning and Territory, concluded that this topic was of primary relevance and encouraged the organization of a second workshop to strengthen knowledge of participating institutions in the frame of the Capacity Building component of the PPIP.
10th February 2022: Today, the Second Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting of the European Investment Bank (EIB) funded Project Preparation and Implementation Programme (PPIP)[1] was held at the Ministry of Planning and Territory.
Introduction by the PPIP Focal Point to PSC meeting
The Second PSC meeting was represented by several Government Ministers, representatives from the European Union Delegation (EUD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the project consultant COWI and was chaired by H.E. Eng. Joaquim Amaral, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs. The meeting was opened by His Excellency the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Territory, Eng Jose Maria dos Reis who mentioned the following “I thank the European Investment Bank for its assistance and commitment to support projects focused on green activities or environment, through the development of response and capacity building, by mitigating negative impacts through climate change in the means of adaptation and mitigation of technology, human resources and financial sources. We believe that through the cooperation and technical assistance from the European Investment Bank, we can obtain the result and information which are credible”.
The Second PSC meeting agreed that the following project fiches be recommended for prefeasibility studies being: Water Sector -two cluster of cities of Aileu, Gleno and Liquica; Maliana, Suai and Ainaro. Solid Waste Management – Integrated solid waste management; Healthcare risk waste management. Forestry – Expanding commercial tree and other crops; Catchment(s) management in the watersheds of Irabere and Mota Loes.
EIB Head of Asia and Pacific Division Mr. Edvardas Bumsteinas deliver His remarks.
The Head of Asia and Pacific Division, European Investment Bank, Mr Edvardas Bumsteinas commented that “the project identification stage has taken eight months to complete from the inception stage. The process has been consultative and PPIP, COWI and the Government of Timor Leste have met regularly to discuss the merits of each project. EIB is the European Climate Bank and thus climate and environment are very important factors in the identification of suitable projects. We are pleased that the GoTL has selected the 6 fiches being 2 per sector, to go onto the next prefeasibility stage. The next steps are for these 6 prefeasibility studies to translate into at least 3 feasibilities studies. Then hopefully these feasibilities could become loans from the EIB to the Govt of TL. We are more than hopeful that EIB will be able to have a fruitful relationship with the GoTL in the identification, analysis and development of many more infrastructure projects in Timor Leste. EIB is one of the largest multisectoral financial institutions in the world, and hopes to have an increasing presence in TL. We thank the GoTL and the project consultant COWI in striving to meet project deadlines even in light of the difficulties of the Covid 19 pandemic.
EU Ambassador to Timor-Leste Mr. Andrew Jacobs deliver His remarks
The Ambassador of the European Union to Timor-Leste, Mr Andrew Jacobs, mentioned that this project is coherent with the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, through which the EU seeks to strengthen its partnership with the region. It sees particular opportunities in green transition, sustainability and inclusive prosperity, ocean governance, digital governance and partnership, connectivity, security and defence, and human security. This steering committee is important and will allow priority projects to be defined for investment. This is part of an extensive and meticulous process that I hope will lead to significant interventions by the EIB in support of Timor-Leste’s sustainable development ambitions.
The meeting was attended by H.E. Mr. José Maria dos Reis, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Ministry of Planning and Territory; H.E. Mr Joaquim Amaral, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs; H.E. Mr. Miguel Pereira de Carvalho, Minister of State Administration; H.E. Ms. Sara Lobo Brites, Acting Minister of Finance; H.E. Mr Pedro dos Reis, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries; H.E. Mr Andrew Jacobs, Ambassador of the EUD to Timor-Leste; Mr Edvardas Bumsteinas, Head of Asia and Pacific Division EIB; as well as other representatives from the Government of Timor- Leste, the EIB, the EU, and the PPIP Consultant COWI.
About the PPIP
The PPIP is an EIB funded project to assist the Government of Timor-Leste in the identification, preparation and implementation of technically, financially, economically, environmentally, and socially sound investment projects in three sectors of Water Supply, Sanitation and Drainage; Solid Waste Management and Forestry. PPIP will identify potential fiches in the three sectors, conduct prefeasibility studies for six projects (two per sector) and then complete three feasibility studies (one per sector). At the end of the feasibility studies, it is envisaged that the Government of Timor Leste will take out loans from EIB to fund the three investment projects.
About the project Steering Committee of PPI Programme
The Project Steering Committee of the PPIP is co-chaired by the Ministry of Planning and Territory, the Ministry of Finance, and the European Investment Bank. The Government of Timor-Leste is also represented in the PSC by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Ministry of State Administration, Bee Timor-Leste, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
About the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a unique economic and political union between 27 European countries that, together, cover much of the continent. The predecessor of the EU – The European Coal and Steel Community – was created in the aftermath of the Second World War and was built on the understanding that countries that trade with one another become economically interdependent and therefore more likely to avoid conflict. In Timor-Leste the EU is the second largest donor of development aid (grant funding). The EU is committed to support Timor-Leste 2011-2030 Strategic Development plan, which aims to transform Timor-Leste into an upper-middle-income country by 2030 based on rapid, inclusive growth enabling it to improve infrastructure, worker skills, education, training and health systems, and combat poverty and malnutrition. The EU assistance focuses on green and sustainable economic recovery and development, rural development, good governance for sustainable development and gender equality.
For more information please contact:
Mr Jan Drozdz, PPIP Team Leader
[1] The Project Preparation and Implementation Programme for Timor-Leste is an EIB executed technical assistance operation which is financed from the European Development Fund, under the Investment Facility for the Pacific (IFP) and under the Cotonou Agreement.
On November 26, representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Territory, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the EU Delegation to Timor-Leste met to discuss financing opportunities by the EIB.
Finance workshop in Dili and virtually the 26th of November 2021
The PPIP aims to support the identification, preparation, and implementation of technically, financially, economically, environmentally, and socially sound investment projects in the forestry, solid waste, and water and sanitation sectors.
This workshop was the opportunity for the EIB to present its financing guidelines and strategy in Timor-Leste. As introduced by Mr. Raoul Pedrazzani, EIB project coordinator, the “EIB is committed to finance projects that are sustainable and demonstrate a long-term impact for a better future”. In return, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Territory presented their constraints for accessing loans and asked multiple questions about the financing mechanisms and conditions.
The workshop was also the opportunity to discuss eligibility criteria of projects identified within the PPI Programme. Mr. Elson Martinho da Costa, National Director of the External Resources Management and Mobilization at the Ministry of Finance, concluded “we do hope that we can have another chance to invite the EIB team to present and discuss this issue in a more specific way”.
In the next months, the PPI Programme will select six projects to start pre-feasibility studies.
Preparing for and identifying potential projects in the solid waste sector requires deep knowledge of the current situation – existing challenges, constraints, and local requirements. Proposals for investment projects must be adapted to the National Strategies and plans but must also be entrenched in local circumstances and requirements to serve the needs of the population and contribute to a sustainable and liveable society.
To this end, the waste team has toured the country over two weeks in September/October 2021, covering 11 municipalities outside Dili, and conducted interviews with the main stakeholders, obtaining factual information, and the stakeholders’ view and needs regarding future waste management.
With a view to the current non-adequate collection service, especially towards villages and rural areas, and the poor state of waste disposal, the municipal representatives expressed satisfaction with the prospect of the EIB/GoT-L initiating a comprehensive waste management project.
The project will cover all aspects of public solid waste management, including the formation of regional landfills/other treatment facilities, with emphasis on enhanced collection coverage and environmentally sound treatment and disposal of waste. This will benefit the local population as well as the environment tremendously.
The COWI team applied GIS software for field data collection. This was a helpful tool in collecting and storing digital field observations, i.e. completing digital structured forms, capturing location/point geometry, and photos. Following the field visits, the data will be converted and visualized on a geo-information management platform, and will be used in the next phases of the studies for determining e.g. centre of population suitable for waste collection, sewer and water supplies, road conditions, etc.
Geo-information management platform containing observations from the field surveys.
Several Ministries, the project implementation team, and the European Investment Bank (EIB), met to discuss potential risks and mitigation strategies for the Project Preparation & Implementation Programme for Timor-Leste (PPIP).
The PPIP aims to support the identification, preparation, and implementation of technically, financially, economically, environmentally, and socially sound investment projects in the forestry, solid waste, and water and sanitation sectors.
As introduced by Eng. Deonlido da Silva, Director General of Planning and Territory, from the Ministry of Planning and Territory, “the Risk Workshop today could help all of us who are part of the PPIP Programme to better prepare ourselves and to identify potential problems before they occur and have a plan for addressing them.”
The workshop took place simultaneously in Dili and online. It included participants from the Ministry of Planning and Territory, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Ministry of State Administration, BEE-Timor-Leste, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the National Development Agency , the National Authority for Water and Sanitation, the Ministry of Finance, and the Dili Municipality.
Risk workshop in Dili and virtually the 6th of October 2021.
Participants in two working groups discussed potential risks. Notably, both groups identified as particularly relevant the risks of “Low willingness to raise tariffs to cover costs of improved service delivery (water, solid waste)” and the risk of “Changing priorities by project sponsors and/or stakeholders” particularly in the context of the coming elections. Mitigation strategies included a reinforced communication among stakeholders and engaging communities to find a balance between quality of service and prices.
Furthermore, at the end of the meeting, participants asked questions to Mr Raoul Pedrazzani, PPIP project coordinator from EIB, who also congratulated the participants for their productive discussion.
