List of rivers of Timor-Leste

The list is arranged by catchment, drainage basin or watershed from west to east, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.

As the island of Timor is small and Timor-Leste's topography is steep, the rivers are short and drain quickly, with fast flowing discharges.

[2]: xvi, 3, 75 [5] The south has more perennial rivers than the north because of its larger catchment areas, longer rainy season, greater rainfall and prevailing winds.

Along the northern coastline are many of the smaller river catchments that are either semi-permanent or ephemeral, flowing for short periods in the wet season after heavy rainfall events.

[7]: 6–7 [8]: 35 Many of Timor-Leste's rivers are polluted by sewage released from homes and light industrial premises, due to a lack of basic sanitation.

[1]: 23 The country has been broadly divided into twelve 'hydrologic units', groupings of climatologically and physiographically similar and adjacent river catchments, drainage basins or watersheds.