Small island makes big effort in caring for environment

Atauro Island, a short boat ride from the capital Dili, was previously used by Portuguese and Indonesian colonisers as a place to banish Timorese prisoners.

Although the scars of occupation are still present, a community focus on conservation in recent years is helping to protect surrounding coral reefs and fish populations as well as encourage tourism to the island.

Sebastian Estevao Marques, 45, has lived on the island most of his life and is now raising his children there with his wife Lurdes de Araujo.

He has been a community leader in promoting conservation projects on the island.

The island's electricity is largely powered by petrol and supplied by the Timorese government, but can be unreliable.

Lengthy outages often mean residents are unable to use lights, fans or charge their phones, disconnecting them from the mainland.

After trialling an Indonesian-made solar panel which died after a year, Mr Marques found an Australian-made panel and battery through research.

He asked a family member living in Australia as a seasonal worker to purchase the panel, which cost US$150 (A$235), and mail it back to him.

One year later, Mr Marques couldn't be happier with the results.

"It was easy to set up, much easier than the previous panel, and it worked straight away," he told AAP.

"When I got the panel from Australia, my neighbours wanted to get one too, so next time my family member goes to be a seasonal worker I will ask them to send back more."

While the initial cost was large, Mr Marques said the benefits quickly outweighed it.

The single panel lets him power three lights in his home and charge his phone, which is particularly useful when the island's supplied electricity is shut off.

"My neighbours have said they also want to get (a solar panel) because they will only have to pay once and then have access to electricity when they need," he said.

Mr Marques educates the community about conservation and ocean restoration, helping to set up fishing sanctuary zones and remove plastic rubbish.

Efforts to improve conservation on the island are bound by "tara bundu", a Tetun word meaning cultural law forbidding you from something.

The law stops people fishing in protected areas, disposing of plastic in the ocean and damaging the island's surrounding coral reefs.

Mr Marques said there were no consequences from the government under tara bundu, but many from the community which services as a major disincentive to breaking the law.

"Culture plays a very important role in the community on Atauro Island," Mr Marques said.

Queensland University of Technology marine scientist Catherine Kim, who studied coral health in East Timor as part of her PhD, said the island's geographic location provides a natural buffer to the effects of climate change, assisting conservation and restoration efforts.

"Timor sits in a significant oceanographic pathway with lots of water flowing through," she said.

"I suspect that with this complex oceanography, there is upflowing where the cooler water is brought up to the surface."

This helps to cool the water surrounding the coral.

"These areas aren't immune to bleaching, but they are naturally buffered because of their surroundings," Dr Kim said.

Mr Marques wants more people on the island to take up solar panel use, helping to reduce the impact on the environment.

"Next time my family goes to be a seasonal worker we will ask them to send back more panels," he said.

AAP's reporter travelled as a guest of Intrepid Travel.

Australian Associated Press