Timor-Leste National Facilitating Committee (TL5).

$61,000

TL5 seeks to create national-level understanding and coordination on dugong and seagrass conservation among relevant government institutions. This will be achieved by working with the other Partners of the Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project in Timor-Leste, sharing their data, lessons learned and experience of dugong and seagrass ecosystem conservation.

The project will establish a National Facilitating Committee (NFC) to assist national capacity-building and mobilise decision-maker support for dugong and seagrass conservation.

TL5 will also address the need to reduce destructive fishing practices and hunting through the mobilisation of governmental and non-governmental organisations working with local communities.

The project will create a platform for all stakeholders to discuss obstacles to dugong and seagrass conservation in the country, including legal and awareness barriers to enhancing effective conservation at a national level and at key dugong and seagrass sites.

The stakeholders will socialise dugong population protection and seagrass conservation among the communities in the coastal areas, led by government institutions (National Directorate for Biodiversity Protection and Restoration and National Directorate for Fisheries) and supported by Blue Ventures and Conservation International (CI) as implementing partners.

Deliverables
  1. Establish and coordinate a National Facilitating Committee for the Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project.
  2. Convene meetings and six workshops for stakeholders to build the technical capacities of NFC members for dugong and seagrass conservation.
  3. Support, monitor and analyse the uptake of dugong and seagrass considerations in the work areas of NFC members.