Irabere River


The Irabere River, also known as the Ira Bere River, the Irebere River, and the Irabiri River, is a river in southeastern Timor-Leste that flows into the Timor Sea.

Course

The headwaters of the river are in Suco, Baguia administrative post, Baucau municipality, and the adjacent Sucos, Luro administrative post, and, Iliomar administrative post, both of which are in Lautém municipality.
The river itself has its source at the confluence of its tributaries the Tunir and Afalita rivers, on the border between Sucos Uacala and Caenlio. From there, it flows southwestwards along the border between Lautém to the southeast and Baucau to the northwest, and then, from the tripoint between Baucau, Lautém and Viqueque municipalities, southwards along the whole of the border between Lautém to the east and Viqueque to the west, until it empties into the Timor Sea.
One of Timor-Leste's few perennial streams, the river is also one of only eight such watercourses in the country's south that can potentially be inhabited by saltwater crocodiles all year round. Its estuary and adjacent forested land are part of the Irabere estuary and Iliomar forest Important Bird Area.
The main tributaries of the river, in order of entrance, are as follows:
  • Letana River: rises in Suco Baricafa, Luro administrative post, Lautém; flows initially southwestwards to the tripoint between that suco, Suco Caenlio, Iliomar administrative post, Lautém, and Suco Uacala, Baguia administrative post, Baucau, where it merges with the Metan River to form the Tunir River; then flows southwards a short distance along the border between Sucos Caenlio and Uacala to where it merges with the Afalita River to form the Irabere River;
  • Afalita River: rises approximately half way along the border between Sucos Baricafa, Luro administrative post, and Caenlio, Iliomar administrative post, both in Lautém; flows a short distance southwards along that border, and then southwestwards to the border between Suco Caenlio and Suco Uacala, Baguia administrative post, Baucau, where it merges with the Letana River to form the Irabere River;
  • Sailuturo River: rises in Suco Caenlio, Iliomar administrative post, Lautém; flows northwestwards to the border between Suco Caenlio and Suco Uacala, Baguia administrative post, Baucau, where it enters the Irabere River;
  • Boro River: has its source in the south of Suco Uacala, Baguia administrative post, Baucau, at the confluence between the Muadaco and Radala rivers; from there, flows southwards to, and then a short distance along, the border between Sucos Uacala and, also in Baguia administrative post, Baucau, to the tripoint between those two sucos and Suco Caenlio, Iliomar administrative post, Lautém, where it enters the Irabere River; one of its main tributaries, the Muadaco River, rises in northeastern Suco Uacala, and flows initially southwards and then southwestwards to the source confluence; its other main tributary, the Radala River, rises in northwestern Suco Uacala, flows southeastwards to where it is joined by its own main tributary ; and then flows a short distance further southeastwards to the source confluence;
  • Hifu River : rises on, and flows initially southeastwards along, the border between Sucos Uacala and Larisula, both in Baguia administrative post, Baucau; then flows southwards, followed by southeastwards, through Suco Larisula to its border with Suco Caenlio, Iliomar administrative post, Lautém, where it enters the Irabere River;
  • Oulauai River: has its source at the western of the two tripoints of Sucos Larisula, Baguia administrative post, Baucau, and and, both in Uatucarbau administrative post, Viqueque and Loissouro rivers ); flows along the border between Baucau and Viqueque, initially eastwards until the eastern tripoint between Sucos Larisula, Bahatata, and Loi Ulo, where it is joined on its left bank by another main tributary, the Togauai River, and then southeastwards, until it enters the Irabere River at the tripoint between Baucau, Viqueque, and Lautém;
  • *Danahine River : rises in Suco, Baguia administrative post, Baucau, as the Danahoe River; flows generally southwestwards into and through Suco, Baguia administrative post, where it is joined on its right bank by a main tributary, the Dalassa River ; continues generally southeastwards, as the Danahine River through Sucos and then, both in Baguia administrative post, to the border between Sucos Alawa Craik and Larisula, Baguia administrative post, where it is joined on its left bank by another main tributary, the Mauai River ; continues a short distance southeastwards along that border to the tripoint between those two sucos and Suco Bahatata, Uatucarbau administrative post, Viqueque, where it is joined on its right bank by yet another main tributary, the Bassaruai River ; then flows southeastwards, along the border between Sucos Bahatata and Larisula, Baguia administrative post, until it merges with the Loissouro River to form the Oulauai River ;
  • *Loissouro River : rises near the border between Sucos and, both in Uatucarbau administrative post, Viqueque; initially flows generally eastwards, along that border, and then, after the tripoint between those two sucos and Suco Loi Ulo, Uatucarbau administrative post, generally northeastwards along the border between Sucos Irabin de Cima and Loi Ulo, and later northwards along the border between Sucos Bahatata, Uatucarbau administrative post, and Loi Ulo, until it merges with the Danahine River to form the Oulauai River ;
  • Calicidere River : rises on or near, and flows eastwards along, the border between Sucos and Irabin de Cima, both in Uatucarbau administrative post, Viqueque, until it reaches the quadripoint between those two sucos and Sucos Caenlio and, both in Iliomar administrative post, Lautém, where it enters the Irabere River;

Catchment

The catchment or drainage basin of the river is one of Timor-Leste's 10 major catchments, and is approximately in area.
Timor-Leste has been broadly divided into twelve 'hydrologic units', groupings of climatologically and physiographically similar and adjacent river catchments. The Irabere River catchment is one of the four major catchments in the Irabere hydrologic unit, which is about in total area, and covers 10.9% of the country; the others are the catchments of the, Bebui and rivers.