Timor-Leste became eligible for GEF support after gaining independence in 2002 and represents the small but growing GEF portfolio in post-conflict, capacity-constrained contexts.

By 2010, the portfolio included $7.9 million in GEF funding across six national projects, alongside participation in regional and global initiatives. The evaluation of Timor-Leste, conducted in 2010–11 in parallel with the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Assessment of Development Results, drew on document review, stakeholder interviews, and triangulation with project reports, with all projects nationally implemented by UNDP.

It finds that GEF support enabled Timor-Leste to meet its initial obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Convention to Combat Desertification, notably through preparation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA). Support raised awareness of environmental priorities, yet results remain at the planning and capacity-building stage, with limited field demonstrations.

The report recommends longer-term engagement, linking environmental management to rural livelihoods, and strengthening land management through community-based approaches to reduce slash-and-burn agriculture and promote sustainable farming.