community self-determination on
paradise island of atauro
lee tan, australian conservation
foundation/friends of the earth
australia
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Eco huts, compost
toilets, palm trees from which local
people make palm wine, and a local
library on Atauro island in Timor
Leste
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|
When the East Timorese voted
overwhelmingly to be freed from Indonesian
rule in 1999, the military regime
retaliated by killing tens of thousands of
Timorese and destroying about 90% of the
country's infrastructure. Five years later,
independent Timor Leste remains one of the
most impoverished nations in the world,
struggling to meet urgent humanitarian
needs and to reestablish basic
infrastructure through foreign aid and
development assistance. Despite huge
pressure, the government has to date
resisted taking any loans from
international financial institutions.
The 105-square kilometer island, home to
some 8,000 people, is fringed by coral
reefs which attract diverse species of fish
and marine animals. Its majestic mountains
plunge down to palm-fringed beaches which
are lapped by the warm tropical waters.
Atauro's isolated
position and the subsistence lifestyles of
its people have allowed its cultures,
traditions and selfreliance to remain
intact. Local people are committed to
ensuring that development goes hand in hand
with environmental and cultural
protection.
Proposals for large-scale tourism
development have prompted local people to
take things into their own hands. They have
decided to use their island resources
sustainably, and to preserve their strong
culture by allowing only small-scale income
generating activities such as
community-controlled ecotourism.
Their aspirations are supported by
Atauro's own NGO, ROLU, with assistance
from several external NGOs. ROLU has
organized trainings and facilitated
discussions about development issues so
that communities can make informed
decisions about their island's future. They
have also helped to nourish the successful
Tua Koin ecotourism project, which has
generated supplementary incomes and
sustainable livelihoods for local
people.
Every aspect of Tua Koin has been
designed for minimal ecological impact and
maximum benefit for the community.
Community members build the huts from local
materials, and the roofs are thatched with
a long grass which otherwise is a noxious
weed. Linens are designed and sewn by women
from the island. Water is recycled and used
for plants, and solar panels provide basic
electricity. Bathrooms are shared, and the
compost toilets do not require water, a
scarce resource on the island.
Visitors, many of whom come for the
weekend from the mainland of Timor Leste,
are briefed on the need to respect local
cultures and traditions. The project has
provided much-needed local employment, as
well as an additional market for local
produce and fish catches. Profits have been
re-invested into improving facilities at a
local school and health clinic.
The communities of Atauro are very proud
of their achievements, which have attracted
much interest within Timor Leste. They are
living proof that a community-based
approach facilitates ownership and control
by local people, ensuring a sustainability
which will outlive the project.
