Timor-Leste is one of the most food insecure countries in the world with more than 80% of the population relying on agriculture for both food and income. The hilly topography and increasing climate-related hazards make it particularly susceptible to disasters. Increased temperatures, incidents of windstorms, and decreased rainfall during the dry season are a few primary anticipated effects of climate change, all of which will increase the frequency and severity of disasters and contribute significantly to crop loss, crop productivity decline, and an increase in food security. Mercy Corps’ Managing Risk through Economic Development (MRED-II) program supports the most vulnerable households in smallholder farming communities in Timor-Leste to be more resilient to the adverse effects of climate change and natural disasters through a resilience approach that integrates disaster risk reduction (DRR) and risk-sensitive livelihoods.
MRED-II operated in Nepal and Timor-Leste to support community based DRR structures and capacities whilst strengthening livelihood resilience through a risk-sensitive approach the program calls “nexus.” Over the course of seven years of implementation in these two countries, MRED has generated substantial experience and evidence to support the value of the nexus approach in building disaster-ready communities and creating strategies to work with government and private sector partners that sustain and scale program investments. This brief will discuss the impact and results of the MRED program in Timor-Leste