The HydroTimor weBlog

The Institutional Cooperation between Norway and Ministry of Infrastructure (MIS) in Timor-Leste is founded for the scholarship program.

The scholarship programs were announced in August/September 2010. The Under-graduate
Scholarships were announced public in local newspapers and TV. For the post-graduate scholarship posters were put up in the different directorates. Both Under- and Post-graduate scholarships were also announced on our website.

Subject areas to apply include (but are not limited to) Hydropower Development, Electric Engineering, Civil Engineering, Machine Engineering and Project Management.

The applications submitted for under-graduate were 348 applications and for post-graduate 13 applications.

The awarded scholarship students for under-graduate was 6 students and for post-graduate was 4 students.

Many students came to deliver their applications.
Final check of the students’ applications.
Short listed candidates ready for English test.
Celebration of the successful candidates.

The extension of the office for HydroTimor and the National Directorate for Water Resources Management was completed by July 2009. The new office is a great asset to the National Directorate for Water Resources Management and the new office facilities ensure efficient and satisfactory working conditions for the staff. The last undertaking was to erect a new fencing on the premises.

Work in progress to erect the new fencing.
Mounting reinforcement bar’s before the casting frame is installed.
The walkway is soon ready for pouring concrete.
The fencing is finished and the bars are in place.

The 1st annual Water Readers Conference was arranged on the 9th November 2010 by the Hydrology Department of National Directorate for Water Resource Management. All rainfall and water level readers throughout Timor-Leste were invited to a one day workshop in Dili and 30 persons attended the workshop. The main focus of the workshop was to improve consistency and accuracy of the reported data.

Preparing materials for the workshop.
The workshop was opened by Mr Januario da Costa Pereira, Sec State EWU and chaired by Mr. Joaquim Ximenes, Director National Directorate Water Resource Management.
Mr Fransisco Pereira, Head Hydrologist NDWRM, lectures about the need for consistent and accurate data.
Mr Baltazar De Carbalio, Assistant Hydrology, explains about the rainfall instrument.
Participants 1st Annual Water Readers Conference 9. November 2011.

One of the main tasks for the National Directorate for Water Resource Management is to provide accurate and reliable measurement of rainfall and water level in selected locations. The Comoro River drains a catchment area close to Dili. As part of a study to evaluate the flow of water in the river, measurement equipment has been installed at two locations. In the upper part of the catchment area close to Railaco and in the Comoro River close to Dili.

Surveying the Comoro River, close to Dili, to find a suitable location to install equipment for water level measurements.
On the job training for staff at NDWRM.
Installing staff gauge and Diver/Baro to provide reliable measurements of water level & temperature.
Equipment is ready to be installed.
Installed equipment for reliable measurements of water level in Comoro River.

Mr Joaquim Ximenes was appointed Director for the National Directorate for Water Resource Management (NDWRM) from November 2009. He came from the position as our Field Hydrologist. The previous director, Mr Gregorio de Ajauro left to take up further studies in Portugal.

Komesa husi fulan Novembro tinan 2009, Sr Joaquim Ximenes ema ida ne’ebé mak fiar sai nudar Diretor ba Recursos Be (DNGRA). Antes ne’ebá nia husi pozisaun nudar Field Hydologist. Iha tempo antes Sr Gregorio de Araujo mak nudar Diretor, nia sai tamba hakarak ba kontinua estudu tan iha Portugal.

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (Bouvet Foundation)

Dr Svein Ingar Semb PhD arrived to Dili August 2009, starting a two-year assignment as Resident Project Coordinator and Senior Advisor to the programme. He is Norwegian and employed by the NVE. Dr Svein Ingar is accompanied by his wife and two children. He has a broad background in water resource related issues. Main focus for his assignment is to further expand the hydrological network in Timor-Leste and to provide and coordinate assistance within the water and eneregy sector.

Dr Svein Ingar Semb PhD mai Timor iha fulan Agosto tinan 2009, nia komesa serbiso ba tinan rua nudar kordenador ba projeito no hanesan Senior Advisor ba iha programa ne’e. Nia husi Norway no hanesan staff husi NVE. Dr Svein iha familia ho oan hamtuk nain rua ne’ebé mak akompaña nia durante iha Timor. Nia iha koñesimentu klean kona ba recursos be. Focus importante ba nia mak atu habelar rede/liña hidroeléktriku iha Timor-Leste no fornese e no mos kordena asistensia serbiso iha seitor be no energia.

Our former Programme Manager, Mr Kassius Klei Ximenes has been accepted as a student with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok. He started his studies for a Master degree in Environmental Management in August 2009, and has leave of absence until January 2012 when he will return to his position.

Sr Kassius Klei Ximenes nudar Eis Programmer Manager ne’ebé mak sai estudante iha Univesidade Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) iha Bangkok. Nia komesa estudu iha tinan 2009 atu hasai Maestrdu iha area Enviromental Management, nia foti lisensa estudu husi serbiso to’o Janeiro 2012, no nia sei fila hikas tur iha nia pozisaun.

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (Bouvet Foundation)

We knew it was supposed to happen, but were still left with an unreal feeling, realising the time actually was here Sunday 28 June 2009: “Mr Alf” Adeler left East Timor.

Don’t misunderstand, we realise that after many years working very hard for HydroTimor, Mr Alf needs to go back to his family in Norway and resume life with his wife, children and grand-children, and we wish him all the best! It’s just that after his major contribution to the development of East Timor, we have to wonder what lies next, how do we carry on his legacy?

New people will come and continue the development of hydroelectric power and hydrology, and we are confident they will do a great job. But there is no doubt that an era is over. We have witnessed something special, something great, something beautiful, and we are grateful and touched. For all you have done, Mr Alf we thank you, and know that we will miss you!

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (Bouvet Foundation)

Kassius Klei, our Programme Manager for the institutional cooperation between Timor-Leste and Norway within the power sector, who has worked with us for more than four years, will leave us for a period for further studies.

Kassius has got a scholarship from Norway to study for his Master degree within Energy at the School of Environmental Resources and Development at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand. He will be away for a period of two years, and will thereafter join us with even more competency than today.

We congratulate Kassius with his scholarship, and wish him all the best during his studies. And we look forward to have him back with us after the two years. We hope he will send regular information to our blog! Best luck, Kassius!

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (Bouvet Foundation)

Extension of the office for HydroTimor and the National Directorate for Water Resources Management is progressing.

For more than two years now the part of Ministry of Infrastructure dealing with hydrology and hydropower, called by our self for HydroTimor, has had the office in a small building at the Electricidade de Timor-Leste (EDTL) premises in Caicoli, Dili.

Since we have been merged with the National Directorate for Water Resources Management, the office space has become too small.

Norway granted during the Annual Meeting 2009 an amount sufficient to enlarge the office building to cater for at least 20 persons in good working facilities, and to purchase
office furniture and other equipment.

After a tendering process, the local company Baboe from Dili was the winner, and started construction work at the middle of April 2009. The plan is to complete the building before the 22 June 2009. The consultant for the construction is Lemorai Lafoti Consultant from Dili.

The work is progressing according to schedule, and will when completed make the old, small office to a large, nice office building. Emphasis has been made to make it a strong building, which is large, but without looking like a very large building.

By sitting together, the complete National Directorate for Water Resources Management will become an efficient unit, working close together, ready to serve others in Timor-Leste who will need data from us, and to assist to develop Timor-Leste in the right way!

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (Bouvet Foundation)

It took around four years, and quite a lot of follow-up, but finally the two HydroTimor staff Mr Kassius Klei Ximenes (Programme Manager and Counterpart) and Ms Maria Mendonca Moniz (Accountant and Office Manager) became Cicil Servants and formally hired by the Ministry for Infrastructure (MIS).

The inauguration ceremony took place at the EDTL compound in Caicoli 24 March 2009, and was attended by MIS representatives including Minister Mr Pedro da Silva Lay, Vice Minister Mr Jose Manuel Carascalao, and Secreatary of State for Electricity, Water and Urbanization Mr Januario da Costa Pereira, among others.

A total of 99 MIS employees became civil servants during the ceremony. This included 8 at level 1, 17 at level 2, 39 at level 3, 23 at level 4, 8 at level 5, and 4 at level 6.

From left: Mr Inacio Leite, Ms Gina Correia, Ms Maria Mendonca Moniz, Mr Kassius Klei Ximenes, Mr Belarmino Freitas

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (Bouvet Foundation)

The Power Sector Annual Meeting between Timor-Leste and Norway was conducted 26 February 2009 in the new EDTL Conference Centre. An institutional cooperation within the power sector was initiated in 2003, and includes the Timor-Leste Ministry for Infrastructure and the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE).

Activities until now include significant human resources training and development, feasibility studies for hydropower projects (including Iralalaru in Lautem), one mini hydroelectric power plant with transmission line constructed (Gariuai in Baucau), and initial installation of a new national hydrological network.

The Annual Meeting requested Norway to continue the institutional cooperation with Timor-Leste for a new period of 5 years, starting June 2009. The main effort should be within human resources development, hydroelectric power planning and construction, and within hydrology.

Priorities include completion of a hydrological network, to cover all of Timor-Leste. A data storing and handling model should be purchased and installed, and people trained to support hydrological data for projects in need of such data.

Another aim is to start the pre-feasibility study for a new mini/small hydroelectric power project around mid 2009.

A complete Hydropower Master Plan for Timor-Leste will be developed as part of the cooperation, and this work is intended to start within this year. This plan will map the available water resources in the country, and analyse possibilities for construction of more hydroelectric power plants. This will be an important resource for developing more clean and renewable energy in the years to come.

The ongoing feasibility study for the Atsabe small hydroelectric power project (in Ermera) is progressing, and the plan is to implement this as a cooperation and training project between Timor-Leste and Norway. The TL government expressed an interest for a co-financing agreement with Norway. Necessary documentation should be completed and decisions made within this year, with construction to be started shortly thereafter!