East Timor is a small insular country located in Southeast Asia with a population of approximately 1.3 million people. Its tropical climate is heavily influenced by the West Pacific Monsoon, altitude variations in the mountains, as well as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The country is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, namely cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis and heavy rainfall (World Bank Climate Risk Country Profile). 

East Timor’s economy is primarily agrarian, with 70% of the families relying on some form of farming activity for their livelihoods. Despite development work, East Timor still suffers from high levels of poverty, inadequate infrastructure and limited social welfare (World Bank Climate Risk Country Profile). 

Higher temperatures altered precipitation patterns and increased heavy rainfall events are some of the impacts of climate change for this insular country, and are expected to exacerbate vulnerability and inequality, particularly in food security. Altered rainfall patterns will drastically affect East Timor’s food production, the rural poor and other marginalized groups being the most vulnerable. On top of that, water resources, forestry and public health are projected to be the most vulnerable sectors to climate change (World Bank Climate Risk Country Profile).