[TimorLesteStudies] Canberra Seminar: DEFORESTATION AND CATCHMENT RESPONSE IN TIMOR-LESTE

[Jennifer Drysdale]

>DEFORESTATION AND CATCHMENT RESPONSE IN TIMOR-LESTE: CONVERGENCE OF
>COMMUNITY VIEWS AND SCIENCE, OR DELUSION?
>
>Narciso Almeida de Carvalho, MAFF; Francisco Inicio MAFF; Alexio
>Leonita Amaral MAFF; Andrew McWilliam, ANU; Frank Tirendi AIMS;
>Professor Robert Wasson. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Charles
>Darwin University.
>
>The government of Timor Leste is concerned that deforestation and
>upland erosion is negatively affecting the rivers and coastal
>resources of this mountainous country.  Set within the bounds of this
>upland-lowland debate, consultation with focus groups in four centres
>within the catchment of the Laclo River resulted in a generally
>consistent set of concerns and explanations from the local
>people.  Many of these descriptions and explanations of change in
>this catchment are consonant with scientific understanding from the
>Western tradition.  Some scientific findings are not mirrored in the
>knowledge of local people, and the spiritual account of landforms and
>catastrophic floods is usually excluded from the scientific studies.
>The comparison of local and scientific understanding in the Laclo
>catchment will be analysed within the ongoing debate about whether or
>not traditional / indigenous / local knowledge is different from
>scientific / universal knowledge.
>
>
> >Presenter: Professor Robert Wasson
> >Time: 12pm - 1pm Thursday 23 March 2007
> >Venue: Seminar Room, Level 6, WK Hancock Building (43)
> >Biology Place (off Sullivans Creek Road)
> >Australian National University