The Minister of Public Works, Samuel Marçal, and the Secretary of State for Electricity, Water and Sanitation, Santos Noronha, took part on October 26th and 27th, 2026, in Dili in two initiatives dedicated to water resource management and to strengthening the resilience of water, sanitation and hygiene services, bringing together public institutions, international partners, experts and civil society organisations.
On October 26th, the Minister of Public Works took part in the International Symposium on Water, Peace and Diplomacy, held at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace to promote dialogue on water resource management, regional cooperation, and the role of water diplomacy in peace, stability, and sustainable development.
The event, organised by the Presidency of the Republic in collaboration with Permatil, the Global Water Institute at the University of New South Wales, and the Diplomacy Training Programme, was attended by the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta; the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, Retno Marsudi; and representatives from government, the diplomatic corps, development partners, experts, researchers, civil society organisations, and university students.
In his address, Samuel Marçal highlighted the shared responsibility for river basin management and argued that cooperation on water issues helps build trust and prevent disputes. The Minister also emphasised the need for decisions based on information on rainfall, rivers, groundwater, and water quality, as well as the sharing of such data among participating entities.
The Minister of Public Works outlined four sector priorities: maintaining regular dialogue on shared river basins; strengthening monitoring and information sharing; protecting basins through reforestation and erosion and pollution control; and securing funding for infrastructure and for institutional capacity building.
Samuel Marçal also stressed that water security depends not only on water availability but also on its quality, advocating measures for wastewater treatment, waste management, and responsible agricultural practices against a backdrop shaped by climate change impacts.
The following day, October 27th, discussions on sustainable water resource management continued from national and sectoral perspectives, with the Secretary of State for Electricity, Water and Sanitation, Santos Noronha, attending the opening of the National Forum on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, held at the João Paulo II Hall in Comoro.
Under the theme “Strengthening the Resilience of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene to Tackle Climate Change in Timor-Leste”, the Forum promoted coordination among public institutions, development partners, international agencies, non-governmental organisations, civil society, and municipal and local administrative structures, with a particular focus on service resilience in the face of climate change.
In his remarks, Santos Noronha highlighted the National Forum as a sectoral coordination mechanism and stated that the 9th Constitutional Government regards access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene as a basic necessity for the population, linked to public health, education, and economic development. The Government aims to expand access to adequate, inclusive, and sustainable services across urban and rural areas.
The Secretary of State also emphasised the need to strengthen alignment across various programmes and interventions. Water and sanitation projects are delivered through Bee Timor-Leste, E.P., government programmes—including the Municipal Development Programme and the National Sucos Development Programme—and initiatives undertaken with support from national and international partners.
The Coordinator of Timor-Leste’s National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Platform, Januário Amaral de Jesus, also emphasised the need to strengthen coordination among stakeholders to promote aligned interventions and support national targets to expand access to water and sanitation services.
The two initiatives held in Dili addressed, across various dimensions, challenges related to water resource management, climate change, and access to water and sanitation services, ranging from regional cooperation and water diplomacy to national and local policy coordination and project implementation.