The Livelihoods fund develops innovative investment models to address environmental degradation, climate change and rural poverty, while helping businesses become more sustainable. As part of this, Livelihoods developed scientifically robust systems to measure carbon impacts. The fund is interested to expand these monitoring systems to include impacts on water. These monitoring systems also have to be adapted to smallholder systems. Together with Vi Agroforestry, a water impact assessment for smallholder farmers was developed in the Mt. Elgon project in Western Kenya. Direct water benefits based on changes in land use practices were quantified. UNIQUE developed the methodology and integrated it into the projects’ farmer based activity monitoring system.

• Review of existing water impact management and monitoring tools, models and applications
• Develop a water impact methodology based on farm level activities.
• Quantify project water impacts as a result of the adoption of sustainable land management practices.