The objective of the project is to inform policy debate on the role of Timor-Leste's cultural heritage in relation to infrastructure investments, with particular regard for roadside locations.

The project will undertake a systematic mapping and cataloging of sites situated along the corridor of the Dili-Ainaro road that will benefit from the Timor- Leste Road Climate Resilience Project. The research will treat sites from the Portuguese colonial era and Indonesian occupation era, as well as important sites related to local custom (such as sacred houses). In addition to physical structures, the research will also address natural sites with cultural significance (such as sacred forests and waterways), and will survey existing cultural groups active near the sites (such as traditional dance groups). The project will involve the identification of heritage sites in consultation with community members and in cooperation with the State Secretariat of Arts and Culture. The locations of sites will be GIS mapped, including reference to access roads and distances from public services. The catalog will include information on the type and condition of sites, as well as an anthropological analysis of local communities ' understandings of the sites’ meaning and purpose. The research results will be used to inform development of a policy note and of user-friendly checklists that will encourage and facilitate culturally sensitive use and/or protection of such sites in the context of infrastructure development activities.