Similie Timor

Similie is dedicated to empowering coastal communities in Timor-Leste, particularly small-scale fishers, to mitigate climate risks through a mobile app that provides hyperlocal weather, climate, and marine forecasts. These communities face significant challenges from climate change, such as increased storms, coastal erosion, and flooding, which threaten their livelihoods. Leveraging their existing weather intelligence platform, Parabl, which has successfully provided early warnings for inland and urban areas, Similie aims to develop and market-test an enhanced app for an additional locality. This app will deliver real-time weather alerts and forecasts, impacting around 500 individuals, with plans to expand throughout Timor-Leste and potentially Southeast Asia. ABIC funding will support finalizing app requirements, developing the MVP, conducting market analysis, implementing field testing, and community training, alongside creating a monitoring and evaluation framework. Within the next six months, Similie’s innovation will empower one coastal community to manage its exposure to climate risks and shocks, enhancing resilience to climate change. During this phase, Similie will test its business model and prepare for growth and scaling. In two years, Similie envisions a scalable business model that empowers coastal communities across TimorLeste and the region to effectively manage climate-related challenges, leading to measurable improvements in livelihood outcomes and greater community resilience to climate change.