On February 3rd, 2016, the Council of Ministers approved the Decree-Law on the National System of Protected Areas. This measure created the legal instruments necessary for the protection of nature, essential to the survival of traditional communities and for the expansion of ecological tourism, one of the great potential for the sustainable development of Timor-Leste.
The Government, through the Secretary of State for Social Communication, developed a video where some protected areas are introduced, such as Atauro Island and Nino Konis Santana National Park.
In total there are 46 Protected Areas, some of which carry symbolic weight, such as the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão National Park, approved by the Council of Ministers on October 20th, 2015, and opened four days later.
The video below also reminds us of a motto of Environmentalism: “from nature, nothing should be taken except photographs, nothing should be left except footprints, nothing should be killed except time and nothing should be taken away except memories…”