Population growth, poverty and forest reliance in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste has one of the poorest and fastest growing populations in the world and its economy is nearly entirely dependent on its non-renewable natural resources. 75% of its population lives in rural areas and depend on forests for their livelihoods. Timor-Leste has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. With rapid population growth and a lack of sustainable population strategy, challenges such as unsustainable land-use, shifting agriculture and illegal cutting of trees for fuelwood or cash incomes will put tremendous pressure on the environment. Unfortunately preservation of the environment is not a national priority and existing laws and regulations concerning the environment are ill suited to the prevailing conditions in rural areas.
The analysis of this paper, based on primary data collected in the field in 2011-12, shows that there is a strong link between high fertility preference, poverty and forest dependency. While almost 93% of the households collect forest products for multiple puposes, 22% of households indicate that they use forests as safety nets. With forests holding potentials for poverty reduction, it is important to develop good environmental management strategies to ensure their sustainability despite an expanding population and strenghten their contribution to the national economy.