The impact of shifting cultivation in the forestry ecosystems of timor-leste

Every year thousands of hectares of forest are destructed as a result of the practice of swidden agriculture, shifting cultivation or "slush and burn" causing changes in forest ecosystems. In Timor- Leste shifting cultivation is still practiced nowadays as a form of subsistence agriculture. Swidden agriculture is characterized by slash and burn clearing, by a rotation of fields rather than of crops, and by short periods of cropping (1-3 years) alternating with long fallow periods. Based on the characterization of shifting cultivation in two Sucos of Bobonaro district, a reflection is made on the impact of this practice in the sustainable development of forest ecosystems of Timor- Leste. Primary data collection was performed using a questionnaire survey of farmers practicing shifting cultivation. The questionnaire characterized shifting cultivation, and asked farmers’ opinion on slash and burning of forest areas and on the importance of forests. According to the results obtained, in most situations the existing vegetation before the slash was composed of dense forest, the slash is made by the family group, the majority of farmers have been doing the “slush and burn” for more than ten years and the size of the plots where slash is made is less than 2 hectares. The materials resulting from the slash are used for firewood, building materials and fencing. The burning of vegetable residues is done before planting and soil preparation and sowing is done with a lever. Land and forest, despite having an individual use, have a tenure regime of ownership and access in which its nature of common pool good prevails. Every year thousands of hectares of forest are destructed as a result of the practice of swidden agriculture, shifting cultivation or "slush and burn" causing changes in forest ecosystems. In Timor-Leste shifting cultivation is still practiced nowadays as a form of subsistence agriculture

The role of traditional land use systems in the well-being of rural Timor-Leste

Natural ecosystems and traditional land use systems have an important role in the life and well being of the rural population of Timor-Leste. Our objectives are: 1) to analyse the different functions that natural ecosystems and land use systems supply to the rural populations of Timor-Leste, identifying the goods and services produced and their economic value; 2) to relate the services produced by land use patterns with Timor-Leste rural population well being; and 3) to discuss the impacts of the present situation and to foresee changes on the well being of rural Timor-Leste. This paper is based on a multidisciplinary approach incorporating contributions from several fields of knowledge, and uses documentary sources, field observations and interviews. The land use patterns identified in Timor-Leste are: natural and semi-natural ecosystems, subsistence agriculture, sacred, housing, basic infrastructures and industries and services. These land use patterns produce a set of goods and which are essential for the survival and well-being of Timor-Leste rural communities. Key-words: Timor-Leste, natural ecosystems, land, well being, developmen

LAND AND GENDER IN MATRILINEAL TIMOR-LESTE

There are few groups’ followers of the matrilineal system in the world but they are present in all continents, except in Europe. In Timor-Leste, the matrilineal organization social system is found among 3 ethno-linguistic groups and seems that, in spite of their resilience, some changes have been taken place in recent years due to some economic, socio and cultural changes. Two different kinship/social systems coexist in Timor-Leste, one patrilineal in force in the majority of the territory and one matrilineal in the regions with dominance of Búnaque, Tetum-Terik and Galoli ethno-linguistic groups. The idea behind this paper is to identify those features related to land that have been characterizing the matrilineal system of the Búnaque in Timor-Leste. To achieve its goals, this paper through, secondary and empirical data collected, analyses women’s reality in the Bunaque communities, relating land tenure with the gender roles performed

The role of traditional land use systems in the well-being of rural Timor-Leste

Natural ecosystems and traditional land use systems have an important role in the life and well being of the rural population of Timor-Leste. The land itself is the support of natural ecosystems and subsistence agriculture of rural populations of East Timor and is the main focus of this research. This paper is part of work in progress. Our research, located in rural Timor-Leste focuses on land tenure, rural family income and the mechanisms that will induce changes in the rules of traditional society organisation. The main objectives of this paper are: 1) to identify the different land use patterns of Timor-Leste; 2) to identify the goods and services produced by them and 3) to relate the services produced by land use patterns with the well-being of Timor-Leste rural population. This paper is based on a multidisciplinary approach incorporating contributions from several fields of knowledge, and uses documentary sources, direct observations made in various periods in the field and interviews conducted in 2003, 2009 and 2010. We identify as the main land use patterns in Timor-Leste the following ones: natural and semi-natural ecosystems, subsistence agriculture, sacred, housing and basic infrastructures and Industries and services. For Timor-Leste rural communities the above land use patterns produce a set of goods and services, which can be classified as supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural goods and services, and those are essential for their survival and well-being. The conceptual framework used to examine the above mentioned issues is the human rights approach to development within which human rights are considered as means and objectives of development as much as economic purposes.Timor-Leste, land use patterns, ecosystems goods and services, well-being.

Funções da terra e da água para as comunidades rurais de Timor-Leste

A terra é um recurso indispensável para as populações rurais de Timor-Leste. Os objectivos desta comunicação são: 1) para as diferentes funções da água e da terra - regulação, habitat, produção, informação e suporte – analisar os bens e serviços que fornecem, a sua natureza e o seu valor económico; 2) relacionar a produção de bens e serviços com o bem-estar das comunidades rurais; 3) descrever os principais mecanismos de obtenção e de transmissão da terra e reflectir sobre as causas que levam às desigualdades de género; e 4) identificar possíveis mecanismos indutores de mudança na posse e gestão da terra. Para as comunidades rurais de Timor, a principal função desempenhada pela terra é de produção. Nessa função a terra tem uma natureza privada ou comunitária e o sistema de transmissão da terra privada é maioritariamente a herança patrilinear. A função informação está muito presente nos rituais religiosos e culturais através da terra sagrada. A compreensão das funções desempenhadas pela terra e a qualificação e quantificação do seu valor permitirá valorizar e melhorar os mecanismos de gestão destes recursos de modo a privilegiar um acesso equitativo e um uso sustentável

O Papel das Mulheres no Desenvolvimento Rural: Uma Leitura para TimoraLeste

It has been a long way, until both gender and development were recognized as important issues in academic and political arena. Several fields of science, such as sociology, anthropology, and economy contributed to the knowledge in this area, in addition to recent developments in feminist and pos-colonial studies. As a result, there are different gender approaches to development. The first objective of this paper is to stress the role of women in rural development, identifying their roles, the main gender approaches to development and women status under international law framework. The second aim is to analyze the position of women in East Timor with respect to social aspects, namely the gender roles, the family, access to natural resources and women status under the legal system and the traditional law. This analysis used documental sources of information and observations made in East Timor in 2000 and 2003. The contribution of East Timorese women to the development is heavy constrained by the gender inequality present in traditional/customary law, in which unequal access to natural resources, in special land access, is relevant. The HRBA seems to be the best approach to a full integration of women in the development process, once it vindicates the right to equality and non discrimination and advocates training and empowerment as means to make women exercise their rights.Gender, Land rights, Rural development, East Timor.

The Role of Traditional Land Use Systems in the Well-being of Rural Timor-Leste

Natural ecosystems and traditional land use systems have an important role in the life and well being of the rural population of Timor-Leste. Land, the support of natural ecosystems and subsistence agriculture of rural populations of Timor Leste, is the main focus of this research. The objectives are: 1) to identify the different land use patterns of Timor-Leste; 2) to identify the goods and services produced; and, 3) to relate the goods and services produced by land use patterns with the well-being of Timor-Leste rural population. This paper is based on a multidisciplinary approach incorporating contributions from several fields of knowledge, and uses documentary sources, field observations and interviews conducted in 2003, 2009 and 2010. The main land use patterns in Timor-Leste are: natural and semi-natural ecosystems, subsistence agriculture, sacred, housing, basic infrastructures and industries and services. These land use patterns produce a set of goods and services classified as supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural which are essential for the survival and well-being of Timor-Leste rural communities

Produção, consumo e importância da cultura do arroz: da colonização portuguesa a Timor-Leste independente

O estudo pretende identificar, analisar e comparar os modelos de desenvolvimento agrícola e gestão de recursos humanos implementados no período colonial de administração portuguesa, durante a ocupação indonésia e no período de independência, no sector da orizicultura do distrito de Baucau, Timor-Leste A recolha de dados consistiu na análise documental, entrevistas semi-estruturadas a informantes chave e inquéritos por questionário a agricultores. Este trabalho, para além da caracterização do sector da orizicultura de Timor-Leste, testa a hipótese de durante os períodos da administração portuguesa, ocupação indonésia e Timor-Leste independente, haver diferença nos seguintes aspectos: tecnologia de produção, comercialização, apoio técnico aos agricultores, formação e higiene e segurança no trabalho. Os resultados indicam que houve uma melhoria nalguns aspectos da tecnologia de produção, no apoio técnico e formação dos agricultores, havendo aspectos da tecnologia de produção e a higiene e segurança no trabalho que permaneceram inalterados. Palavras-Chave: Tecnologia, Recursos Humanos, Orizicultura, Timor-Leste

O impacto da agricultura itinerante no bem-estar das populações rurais e nos ecossistemas naturais e semi-naturais de Timor-Leste

Assiste-se todos os anos à destruição de milhares de hectares da floresta em consequência da prática de agricultura itinerante de “slush and burn”ou “desmatamento e queima”. Esta actividade causa alterações nos ecossistemas florestais devido à destruição do coberto vegetal e consequentes alterações na fertilidade do solo. Em Timor-Leste, a agricultura itinerante ainda é hoje praticada como forma de agricultura de subsistência, em que se efectua essencialmente a plantação de culturas anuais. Com base na caracterização da agricultura itinerante em dois sucos do distrito de Bobonaro, Timor-Leste, reflecte-se sobre o impacto dessa prática no desenvolvimento sustentável dos ecossistemas florestais de Timor-Leste. A recolha da informação primária foi realizada através de inquérito por questionário aos agricultores praticantes de agricultura itinerante. O questionário caracterizou o método de agricultura itinerante, ouviu a opinião dos agricultores sobre o derrube e queima das áreas florestais e sobre a importância da floresta. Palavras-chave: agricultura itinerante; ecossistemas florestais; sustentabilidade; Timor-Lest

Human rights based approach to ecosystem services in rural Timor-Leste

Land and water are the main supporters of almost every ecosystem on earth, either natural or semi-natural, including the traditional land use systems developed by human beings. The multidimensional services supplied by the different land uses are essential resources for the great majority of the population in developing countries. Besides the economic value associated with those services, land services have also historical, cultural and sacred values that should not be ignored as they have shaped over time the social organization of communities. Recognizing the multidimensional character of the services provided by nature in general, and land in particular is precisely the essence of a human rights approach to development. According to the United Nations Organization (UN), a human-rights based approach to development is a conceptual framework for the process of human development that is normatively based on international human rights standards and operationally directed to promoting and protecting them. In its essence, a human rights-based approach integrates the norms, standards and principles of the international human rights system into the plans, policies and processes of development. In this article, specific emphasis will be placed on the relationship between well-being and land use, through physical, economic, social and cultural connections. Our primary concern is to show that human development, in rural areas cannot be measured 2 by the simple production and consumption of commodities sourced in what is conventionally called the primary sector but of a more complex relationship involving mobilization as much as preservation of resources, and material consumption as much as spiritual fulfillment. While carrying out this purpose we will pay special attention to conflicting land uses that may impair population’s well being. First, we will present East Timor and the concept of ecosystem services. Indeed, human well-being is dependent upon multiple and often interrelated ecosystem services contributing each of them to more than one component of well-being. Furthermore, there is interconnectedness of the well-being components and ecosystem services are dynamic and context-dependent. Second, we will discuss the human rights approach to development with special emphasis on cultural freedom, which can be defined as the freedom of people to choose their identities and to lead the lives they value, without being excluded from other choices important to them. Third, we will examine land use patterns in East Timor and its relation to the well being of rural East Timor. In this part we will show how services provided by nature are at least both economic and cultural, and that despite the fact that there may be conflicting uses, a human rights approach must take both services into consideration and value them equally