The river then flows, generally in a northwesterly direction, along the border between Bobonaro and Liquiçá, until it discharges into Ombai Strait, at the western end of the border between Suco Rairobo [de], Atabae administrative post, Bobonaro, and Suco Vatuboro [de], Maubara administrative post, Liquiçá.

[3][11] In order of entrance, the river's main tributaries include the following:[2][3][4][5] For the period 1953 to 1979, which included the final years of the Portuguese colonial era in Timor-Leste, the colonial administration's Plans of Development (Portuguese: Planes de Fomento) identified the river as one of the locations targeted for the boosting of agricultural development.

In 2015, the governments of Timor-Leste and Indonesia entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Forestry Sector, as the first step of a commitment to manage shared natural resources jointly.

[26]: 34 [27][1]: 10  Its catchment or drainage basin has a total area of approximately 2,633 km2 (1,017 sq mi),[26]: 33  including part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia.

Sources published before 2020 state that the East Timorese portion has a total area of 2,418 km2 (934 sq mi)[30]: 9 [note 1] (almost 15% of the whole country),[26]: 34 [27] and that about 9% of the catchment lies in Indonesia.

[6]: 22 The baseline scenario for the two catchments the subject of the MITLW project, including the Talau/Loes catchment, is characterised in the project documentation as: "continuation of poorly managed land uses, particularly agriculture, grazing and other activities degrading and removing forests/vegetation, which then contribute to soil degradation and loss, uncontrolled water flows, and associated deterioration in food and water security."

The project aims to implement over a five-year period an alternative scenario achieving better protection of food, water and livelihood security within the two catchments.

In Timor-Leste, it ranges across 19 administrative posts and 120 sucos in six municipalities, namely Aileu, Ainaro, Bobonaro, Cova Lima, Ermera and Liquiçá.

[6]: 26 According to a rapid appraisal of part of the Indonesian portion of the catchment published in 2008, the main hydrological concerns of the stakeholders in that area were sensitivity to climate variability, imbalance of water demand and supply in dry periods, and soil erosion that could cause further degradation to the landscape.

[6]: 26  The sediments and deposited fragments in the catchment include silt, uplifted coral, phyllite, quartzites, schist, and alluvial and sandy marl (known as Bobonaro formation).

[1]: 10 Soil types in the catchment include vertisols, entisols, and inceptisols formed from the weathering sandstones, together with clay stones and uplifted coral limestones.

[6]: 26  Those crops are not produced in quantities sufficient to meet the needs of the catchment's residents for food; water shortages are thought to be a significant factor in relation to that problem.

[14]: 3  Additionally, catchment farmers raise livestock, including cattle, pigs, chickens, and goats;[6]: 26 [14]: 3  these are often kept mainly for special occasions and important events.

[14]: 3, 4 Shifting cultivation and unrestricted cattle grazing in the catchment lead to a reduction in forested areas, infertile soils, and low productivity/biomass.

The largest coffee plantation in the catchment is located in its upper reaches, and is owned by SAPT (Sociedade Agrícola Pátria e Trabalho).

stretching or laying down the mat to facilitate consensus, or reconciliation), by which the crop is subjected to ritual action that changes its status from moruk (transl.

[14]: 5, 6 Nahe biti is performed during the harvesting of wet rice, to establish a communication channel with the river and thereby observe due reciprocity with it.

[14]: 8, 9  The ritual normally begins with the placing of rice stalks and dishes of betel leaves and areca nuts on a mat and the recitation of prayers.

Many of the north coast fishers fish part time or seasonally, and are otherwise occupied in additional activities such as carpentry, labouring or security work.

Most of their fish landings are of small pelagic species, including short-bodied mackerel, sardines (Clupeidae), halfbeaks and scads (Carangidae).

[35] In the coastal village of Biacou [de] (or Beacou), south of the Loes River mouth, most households earn their living from fishing or gleaning.

It concluded that a number of sardine species (and also other small pelagic fish) were caught in the Loes River mouth fishery, with flat-bodied sardinellas (S. gibbosa etc.)

Catches of the pelagic species varied moderately between years, and were larger during the rainy season and when medium-sized turbid plumes were extending from the river mouth.

[42] The catchment has been assessed as having potential for the construction of a large scale multi-purpose dam to harvest raw water and generate hydroelectricity by hydropower.