Dili, May 29, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Civil Protection Authority (APC), together with its partners, held a discussion under the theme “National Consultation on the Presentation of the Draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Risk Assessment and Emergency Evacuation Centers.” The activity was conducted at Hotel Leo-Kase on Wednesday this week.
Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Domingos Mariano Reis, stated that the event aimed to discuss the management of natural disaster risks in Timor-Leste and the use of evacuation centers in the two municipalities to raise community awareness about disaster warning signs.
“The purpose of today’s consultation is to present the draft for disaster risk management and emergency evacuation centers in the municipalities of Viqueque and Covalima. Disaster risk education is meant to improve community knowledge about the causes of disasters people must recognize the warning signs and know how to avoid or protect themselves from disasters,” said Secretary of State Domingos Mariano Reis.
He further explained that based on disaster risk mapping, Viqueque and Covalima are among the highest-risk areas, according to data collected by APC. Therefore, this project will initially focus on these two municipalities, targeting 47 villages.
“While other municipalities also experience natural disasters, the level of mitigation and preparedness depends on data volume and risk level. Viqueque and Covalima have a significantly higher disaster risk, so we’re prioritizing these areas first,” he added.
The Secretary of State explained that civil protection preparedness involves three phases and serves as a guideline for APC and the European Union to implement this project, which begins now and will be completed over the next two years.
“The first phase involves recruiting consultants, the second is the installation of a coordination office with partners, and the third is coordination and consultation. Today’s activity is part of the consultation phase, and once we get strong results, it will serve as guidance for Civil Protection and the EU delegation,” he said.
He also shared that APC is currently collecting data on natural disasters occurring daily in Timor-Leste, such as floods, house fires, and strong winds damaging homes—disasters that occur frequently and with great intensity, particularly in Viqueque and Covalima.
Meanwhile, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation in Timor-Leste, Suzana Martins, stated that today’s APC presentation of the SOP draft to the EU is linked to the natural disaster risks occurring in Timor-Leste and is part of the second phase of the project’s implementation.
“We expect this project will provide training and tools for technical and civil protection personnel to carry out and improve their services to help communities during disasters,” said Suzana Martins.
She explained that the European Union is supporting this project through its cooperation program with Timor-Leste, specifically through Pacific-allocated funds not through the bilateral cooperation program between Timor-Leste and the EU. The project is being carried out in the second phase following the completion of its first phase.
“The training aims to strengthen the procedural competence of APC members to meet the challenges of this project and respond to climate-related disasters. We hope that through this project, training in technical procedures and standards will be developed with contributions from all participants,” she added.
She emphasized that APC is one of the EU’s key partners in implementing various emergency response projects, alongside IOM, WFP, CVTL, and RHTO, particularly in responding to the needs of vulnerable populations.
She further explained that in disaster situations in Timor-Leste, APC teams always work with partners to ensure that people with disabilities are prioritized in high-risk zones. For project implementation, the EU has allocated a budget of €550,000 (approximately $620,000), with a duration of two years.
Report: Nelfiano
Photo: Nelfiano