TerraCircle leads design of new GEF-LDCF project in Timor-Leste
TerraCircle, under a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with FAO, is serving as lead technical consultant and managing the preparation process (PPG) for a major new project under the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund (GEF-LDCF). This follows on from TerraCircle’s role in developing the original Project Identification Form (PIF)— the concept note approved by the GEF in 2024.
The project:
Local Investment and Action for Climate-Resilient, Water-Secure and Healthy Farming Communities in Timor-Leste
will target the country’s largest watershed, the Loes catchment, benefiting over 47,000 people across three municipalities.
It will restore more than 18,000 hectares of degraded landscapes through locally led, diverse-species catchment restoration based on permaculture principles proven by Timor Leste NGO Permatil.
These nature-based solutions (NbS) strengthen water security, soil health, and food production systems, while also protecting downstream ecosystems.
Key priorities include:
building institutional and technical capacity for integrated water and catchment management
scaling up youth- and women-led NbS adaptation
piloting innovative climate and biodiversity finance mechanisms to sustain action.
This initiative positions Timor-Leste to deliver durable adaptation benefits for farming communities while advancing biodiversity protection and climate finance innovation.
Photo: Permatil Global World Oceans Day poster
