When Tropical Cyclone Seroja and the Easter floods struck Timor-Leste in April 2021, the impacts were severe. Thirty-four lives were lost, thousands of people were affected, and economic losses were significant. The events exposed two important gaps: disaster losses were compiled through multiple channels but not yet consolidated under a standardized national methodology, making it difficult to generate a comprehensive picture of impacts. At the same time, early warnings were not consistently reaching everyone, particularly people in rural areas.
To address these challenges, the Civil Protection Authority (CPA), together with the National Directorate of Meteorology and Geophysics (NDMG), worked with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and partners through the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative. The work focused on three practical areas: improving disaster loss data, understanding how early warnings reach communities, and strengthening coordination across institutions.
Building a System to Count Disaster Losses
One of the project’s main achievements was establishing Timor-Leste’s first government-led system for routine tracking of disaster losses and damages.
Capacity building was central to this effort. Working closely with CPA and UNDP Timor-Leste, the project delivered a series of national and municipal trainings that reached 240 participants, including officials from six pilot municipalities: Aileu, Baucau, Ermera, Lautem, Liquica, and Viqueque. Pre- and post-training assessments showed measurable improvements in technical knowledge. The revised methodology to track disaster losses and damages also requires the entry of sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data (SADDD), helping ensure that disaster impacts on different population groups are accurately reflected.
Reliable data, however, is only useful if it is clearly communicated. To support responsible use of disaster information, UNDRR, UNDP, and UNESCO trained 36 journalists and communication officers from 21 media outlets on ethical and inclusive disaster reporting. The training emphasized the use of verified disaster losses data and accurate interpretation of impacts, particularly for women, persons with disabilities, and other at-risk groups. Strengthening media capacity helps reduce misinformation and improve public understanding of disaster risks.
Together, these efforts strengthen not only how disaster losses are recorded, but also how they are understood - supporting evidence-based planning, reporting under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and informed public dialogue on climate and disaster risk.
Understanding the “Last Mile” of Early Warnings
An early warning is only effective if people receive it and know what to do.
To better understand how warnings reach communities, UNDRR partnered with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre to conduct a nationwide study covering 909 households and 27 focus group discussions across eight municipalities. To guide this assessment, the team adapted the “Inclusive Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Checklist” originally developed under the CREWS Pacific programme and localized in Timor-Leste in 2024. The guidance used to shape the survey tools and focus group discussions. This ensured that the study examined not only whether warnings were received, but also whether they were accessible and actionable for women, persons with disabilities, and other at-risk groups.
The findings were practical and revealing:
- 65% of households reported receiving early warnings.
- 56% of rural households face weak or no mobile network coverage.
- 22% reported not receiving warnings at all.
- Around 90% of respondents expressed greater trust in local leaders than in national digital sources.
These results highlight the need for a balanced approach. While digital systems are improving, low-tech communication tools, such as loudspeakers and direct communication through village chiefs, remain essential. The study provides a baseline for strengthening people-centered early warning systems in line with national climate service strategies.
A Foundation for Greater Alignment and Future Action
Rather than presenting a finished solution, the 12-month CREWS project has laid important foundations:
- A standardized national system for tracking disaster losses and damages
- A baseline understanding of early warning reach and community trust
- Improved inter-ministerial coordination
- Greater attention to inclusive and people-centered approaches
Importantly, the action was designed to complement, not duplicate, existing investments in early warning systems. During implementation, close collaboration was established with UNDP’s GCF-supported initiatives, including the TERS and broader climate services to strengthen efforts. The work on losses and damages methodologies was integrated into these existing digital platforms, ensuring sustainability beyond the project period.
At the community level, findings from the early warning systems study will both inform and reinforce ongoing efforts by the Timor-Leste Red Cross and its partners in delivering community-based disaster risk management and early warning activities. The study will help strengthen last-mile reach, particularly for those who currently lack access to the warning messages or who are unable to act upon them, thereby enhancing preparedness and anticipatory action. The evidence generated under the project - particularly on trust in local leaders and connectivity gaps - provides practical guidance for refining dissemination strategies that combine digital tools with low-tech, community-based approaches.
By bringing together CPA, NDMG, UN agencies, the Red Cross, and sector ministries, the project has helped create a stronger basis for coordinated, end-to-end early warning systems. This alignment sets the stage for a broader national effort under the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, with a formal launch planned in 2026 in Timor-Leste.
Strengthening early warning systems is not only about better forecasts. It is about better data, stronger institutions, clearer roles, and ensuring that warnings are understood, trusted and acted upon. Timor-Leste is steadily building that ecosystem, with increasing coherence among partners working toward a shared goal.