Dili, October 13, 2025 (Média Democracia) – Communities in Cristo Rei Administrative Post, Camea Village, particularly in Lenuk-hun and Ailele-hun hamlets are depend heavily on cutting trees in protected areas for their daily survival. For many families, harvesting and selling firewood is one of the few ways to sustain their household economy.
Community representative Graciana Caldeira explained that residents living in the area rely mainly on forest and marine resources because they have no other source of livelihood to meet their economic needs.
“Our community lives near the sea and depends on fishing, but we’ve noticed changes in the climate. When the sea becomes rough, we can’t go fishing. So, our only alternative is to collect firewood, gather it together, and sell it to earn a little money to support our families. A bundle of firewood is sold for just 10 cents,” said Graciana Caldeira.
She added that climate change happens every year, but this year feels different compared to previous ones. In the past, even during the dry season, there was still enough water in the springs. However, now, during certain months, the heat is extreme, and the old springs that communities rely on for daily consumption are starting to dry up.
“When we go to collect firewood and bring it to sell, we often face problems with the Dili Municipal Forest Guards. They sometimes come and confiscate the firewood we’ve collected. When the forest patrols are not around, we can sell it and earn a little to support our families,” Graciana continued.
She acknowledged that the government, through the National Directorate for Forest Protection and Dili Municipal Forest Guards, frequently warns communities not to cut down trees or burn land in protected areas because such actions can damage the environment and contribute to climate change. Despite this, many residents continue to cut trees out of economic necessity. To minimize environmental damage, some villagers cut one tree and leave two standing to allow the forest to regenerate.
Camea Village Chief, Matos da Costa, explained that while tree-cutting in protected areas is driven by economic need, it also creates problems that affect the community’s daily life, such as soil erosion, landslides, and flooding during the rainy season. He emphasized that these disasters result from human actions that damage the environment.
“The community’s economic challenges are not the only problem; there are other activities they could do if the government provided guidance or issued regulations encouraging forest protection. Cutting down trees and burning land damages the environment, reduces spring water, and worsens climate change,” said Village Chief Matos da Costa.
He added that many people in Camea Village rely on old water springs for daily use because most of the government-supplied PAM water systems are no longer functioning. When communities fail to maintain these springs, the situation worsens. Cutting trees and burning land near water sources causes them to dry up, reducing water availability during the dry season such an effect linked to climate change.
“We understand the community’s economic struggles, but there are other ways to sustain livelihoods. If people depend only on cutting trees every year, they destroy the water sources and fail to replant trees. That’s why we see more droughts and drying springs, the direct results of deforestation and climate change,” said Matos.
The village chief also noted that both Ailele-hun and Lenuk-hun are rural areas, making it difficult to control illegal tree cutting for commercial purposes. He suggested that the government recruit more forest guards from rural communities themselves, as they are more familiar with the area and could monitor tree-cutting activities more effectively.
“As a local authority, we don’t have the power to impose penalties on those who cut trees in protected areas. Such regulations must come from the relevant ministries. However, as village chief, I urge the government to take measures against those who cut and burn land in these areas. Sanctions should be used not only as punishment but also to educate communities about environmental protection,” Matos emphasized.
He further explained that the forestry department sometimes recruits forest guards, but many are selected from other municipalities and are not familiar with the affected areas. As a result, they struggle to monitor deforestation activities effectively.
“In these two hamlets, many residents have long relied on tree-cutting for income. I plan to meet with them to discuss replanting one tree for each one they cut. That way, we can help protect our springs and ensure water remains available during the dry season,” the Camea Village Chief said.
He added that illegal tree-cutting continues mainly due to the lack of forest guard supervision. Local leaders have repeatedly advised communities, especially in the two hamlets not to cut trees or burn land in protected areas, but families persist because of economic hardship and weak enforcement.
The message to Camea Village residents, particularly in Lenuk-hun and Ailele-hun, is clear: avoid cutting trees and burning land in protected areas, because the consequences of environmental destruction and natural disasters will not primarily affect the government but the very communities who cause them. Long dry seasons will reduce water sources, accelerating climate change and endangering future generations. Therefore, joint action is urgently needed to address the impacts of climate change.
Meanwhile, Pascoal Barros do Carmo, National Director for Forest Protection and Guards at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry (MAPPF), stated that Cristo Rei, Dolok-oan, and Hera are classified as protected areas under Law No. 5/2016. Thus, forest guards have the duty to protect these areas and prohibit communities from cutting trees or burning land, which would damage their natural beauty.
He explained that because these areas are designated for tourism conservation, any business or construction activities must first obtain authorization from the forest department. No development can proceed without official consent.
“Many communities in these areas still cut trees. During our patrols, we’ve identified people harvesting species like ai-bubur, ai-tasi, and ai-parapa for business. When we confiscate the wood, there’s usually no one willing to claim it. We then take it to our office as evidence that illegal cutting has occurred in protected areas,” said Director Pascoal Barros do Carmo.
He added that forest guards continue to monitor the protected zones from Cristo Rei through Dolok-oan to Hera to detect illegal activities such as tree-cutting, land burning, and animal hunting. The forestry department plans to establish a patrol post in Dolok-oan, with staff operating 24-hour surveillance to control community activities within protected areas.
“To reduce climate change, which has become a global concern, forest protection is extremely important. When we destroy forests, we intensify climate change. Communities who cut or burn trees in Cristo Rei, Dolok-oan, and Hera are directly contributing to the worsening climate crisis,” he emphasized.
Pascoal further noted that the current extreme heat and the drying of springs are clear impacts of climate change. To mitigate these effects, everyone must protect forests, as trees play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, which helps maintain life and regulate temperature.
“Forests absorb carbon dioxide, the heat-producing gas and release oxygen, which we need to breathe. That’s why climate change is now so evident. We urge everyone to care for and protect our forests, especially in protected areas like Cristo Rei, Dolok-oan, and Hera, where tree-cutting and burning must stop,” said the Director.
Currently, Timor-Leste has 286 forest guards nationwide, with 32 in Dili Municipality, responsible for monitoring about 869,000 hectares of forest, covering 59% of the country’s land area.
The impacts of climate change are increasingly being felt in Timor-Leste, especially among rural communities. In many areas, people struggle to access clean water as old springs dry up during prolonged dry seasons, and during the rainy season, soil erosion and flooding become common.
Natural disasters do not happen by accident, they are often the result of human actions such as deforestation and land burning. The consequences of these actions return to the people themselves. If we continue destroying our environment, we endanger our future. Protecting the environment is therefore a shared responsibility for everyone.
Reporter: Nelfiano
Photo: Nelfiano