Connecting global and local: Community-led water security solutions in Timor-Leste

By Maria Paez

Water is life, yet many communities worldwide struggle to manage this essential resource. The Permaculture Association Britain (PAB) regularly receives inquiries about permaculture-based water solutions, particularly from regions with long dry seasons and short wet periods. In response to these inquiries and to connect communities while sharing successful examples, PAB partnered with Permatil Timor-Leste, Permatil Global and Prof. Dr. Thomas Stodulka from Münster University to create a pilot webinar series, Water Restoration and Resilience, in November 2024. These events showcased community-led water catchment solutions from Timor-Leste, creating a space for communities facing similar challenges - including refugees, young people, women, and those in drought-affected regions - to learn, connect and get inspired.

Making global connections to showcase local success

Over three sessions, Eugenio (Ego) Lemos (Executive Director, Permatil Timor-Leste), Izu Pereira (PermaYouth TL Director), and Lachlan McKenzie (Co-founder & Director, Permatil Global Australia), alongside other Permatil and PermaYouth staff, presented key strategies for understanding land, engaging communities, designing and implementing systems, and integrating livelihoods and resource security. 
Community leaders and permaculture practitioners from over 20 countries - including Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Lesotho, South Africa, India, Philippines, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Kosovo, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Spain, Italy, Romania, UK and Denmark, joined the events. There were 152 registrations, however, due to issues with internet connections, the sessions were attended by over 70 people.
 

In Timor-Leste, where the dry season lasts from May to November, water shortages impact daily life and agriculture. Through innovative storage, management, and restoration techniques rooted in permaculture principles and indigenous knowledge, local communities have demonstrated how resilience can be built.

Discussions highlighted the importance of inclusive community participation, traditional knowledge and permaculture design in tackling water scarcity. By nurturing community processes and equipping them with the skills to restore their own water sources, these solutions can spread to neighbouring areas, creating a ripple effect of collective action that scales over time.

Looking ahead

We hope the insights shared through these webinars will inspire other communities facing similar challenges. We encourage communities to draw from these insights to create their own processes that celebrate and value their unique cultures, fostering action-driven collectives that can address water issues globally.

This experience taught us valuable lessons about running global online sessions, particularly due to internet connectivity issues. Moving forward, we are exploring alternative formats, such as pre-recorded content, smaller regional discussions, and other  materials, to ensure better accessibility and engagement.

Following the webinars, Ego Lemos shared these knowledge-exchange experiences with UNICEF and the President of Timor-Leste. This has sparked significant interest in showcasing these solutions in various platforms, including at COP30 in Brazil.

Join the conversation and learn more

Missed the webinars? Access the recordings below! 

Check the links below, compiled from research and discussions

Explore this collection of videos, books, websites, and networks showcasing community-led water catchment solutions, support resources and inspiring success stories. Let us know if you know of a similar resource that should be added to the list.

Videos

• The Water Harvester: A Film on Zephaniah Phiri, 2014.
• Permatil TL & Permatil Global: A series of videos showcasing the work of Permatil TL and Permatil Global, including powerful testimonials and experiences on water restoration and conservation.
• Andrew Millison's Youtube Channel: Permaculture instructor, video-documents water management solutions across the world on his Youtube Channel. Recommended videos:
  • How the UN is Holding Back the Sahara Desert: An innovative land recovery project within the Great Green Wall of Africa that is harvesting rainwater, increasing food security, and rehabilitating the ecosystem. This is part of the work done by the UN World Food Programme / Northern border of Senegal / WFP Resilience Building
  • India's Water Revolution 2023
  • How India is Turning its Desert into a Farmland Oasis: 40 year water harvesting and community development projects spearheaded by Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GRAVIS) in Thar Desert in Rajasthan India.
  • How to Save a Dying Village | Paani Fdn. India #1 A film that documents the epic work of the Paani Foundation’s Water Cup Competition and Farmer's Cup Competition. Watershed-scale groundwater restoration project that has dramatically improved the lives, economy, ecology and stability of this village, and experience the feeling of deep stability that comes with a healthy and abundant landscape.

Books 

• Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 1, 3rd Edition Author: Brad Lancaster: This is a guide on how to conceptualise, design, and implement life-enhancing water-, sun-, wind-, and shade-harvesting systems for your home, landscape, and community. It shows how to select, place, size, construct, and plant any chosen water-harvesting earthworks.
• The Tropical Permaculture Guidebook:  Written and produced by the webinar presenters Permatil Global, the guidebook is a comprehensive resource of permaculture design, food sovereignty and environmental regeneration strategies. Appropriate for all countries, especially the majority world and available for download on a pay what you can basis.
• The Language of Water: Ancient Techniques and Community Stories for a Water Secure Future by Minni Jain and Phillip Franses. This book explores how communities worldwide use traditional water management practices to restore balance to the climate. Through powerful stories and proven water-holding techniques, it showcases how replenishing groundwater can cool the atmosphere, revive local economies, enhance food security, store carbon and restore ecological harmony. 
  
   

Websites

• Rain harvesting: It offers extensive knowledge on rainwater collection techniques and case studies.
• Water School Africa (WSA) is a partnership between communities engaged in natural water retention practices in their local villages/areas/regions.
• The Flow Partnership: They empower communities to build Natural Catchment Measures (NCM) which serve to slow the surface run off, allowing it to filter and store, minimising erosion, recharging aquifers, regulating localised weather patterns and creating wildlife habitat.
• One Pond Fund: It enables small holder farmers and local communities to build small water bodies or ponds on their lands (often in remote rural areas) across continents. Each pond enables the community to become self reliant for their water needs.
• Ayni Bahay Case Study: The Ayni Bahay Cooperative is founded to provide sustainable water infrastructure to the Ayni Bahay community in the Philippines. The aim is to collaboratively produce clean water, support local food production, and foster eco-tourism. 
• Water Stories: A community Platform for Water Restoration. It trains and connects people who are concerned about the health of Earth to create a meaningful impact, through Community Driven Decentralised Water Retention. We create healthy landscapes and water abundance, by training people to transform water-sheds into water-catchments. This is free to join but requires creating an account.
• WaterAid: Organisation working with communities to improve water access and management, focusing on sustainable solutions.
• Regenesis Group: A regenerative development approach to land use, community development, and the built environment. It explores regenerative approaches to water and land management.
• Watershed Management Group: It supports students by creating outdoor classrooms that harvest rainwater and greywater, grow a shady oasis, produce food, and conserve and protect biodiversity. It focuses on community-driven rainwater harvesting and watershed restoration in arid regions.
• Global Water Initiative (GWI): It supports sustainable water management for agriculture and rural communities.
   

Other links shared by participants during the webinars:

• Upcoming event in Timor-Leste: International Permaculture Youth Convergence 20-25 October 2025: A six-day celebration of permaculture, arts, culture, and music, bringing together participants from around the world. Through shared knowledge and hands-on practice, this event will strengthen the global PermaYouth network, cultivate future leaders and foster environmental stewardship.
• International Permaculture - CoLab's grants database relevant to permaculture projects. This database is updated regularly.  
• Rakesh Rootsman Rak: His work with a scientific community in Spain and Estonia in 2025, will include water management. Other work involves a reforestation project in Jharkhand, and projects in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. https://campsite.bio/rakesh
• Agroecological project in Spain: artecongusto.org is a family-rooted project that continues a centuries-old agricultural tradition. Combining inherited farming practices with agroecology, it preserves the craft of caring for the land while embracing sustainable cultivation methods.
• Biologic Design: An applied permaculture design consultancy. Designing and creating Wetland Ecosystem Treatment (WET) Systems and Water Retentive Landscapes, to enhance both drought and flood resilience. https://www.biologicdesign.co.uk/
• Regenerative design course including permaculture. No specific to water management but it could be relevant to other participants: https://ecodemia.org.uk/

Stay tuned for future events as we continue to explore permaculture-driven solutions.  If you would you like to be part of future discussions or share your own experiences, contact us by completing the following form:

Water is not just a resource - it is us. Water restoration is not just a challenge - it is nature’s call and an opportunity to rethink how we live in harmony with our environment, reconnect with one another and inspire change. Timor-Leste’s journey stands as a powerful example of how local solutions can spark global impact.