WFC 1.6 Smallholders with increased water use efficiency

This indicator measures the number of smallholders who have adopted practices or technologies that lead to increased water use efficiency or improved water productivity in their agricultural activities within the reporting period.

Water use efficiency refers to using water in a way that minimizes waste while maintaining or increasing crop production.

Water productivity refers to the amount of crop produced per unit of water used.
 
This indicator is a proxy for water use efficiency and water productivity. It does not measure baseline and endline volumes or quantify the exact amount of water saved. Instead, it assumes that the adoption of practices or technologies designed to improve water use leads to greater efficiency and productivity. Verification is based on smallholders' own records of water use practices and productivity, as reported through surveys or monitoring data.

WSG 121

• Gender 

• Age  

• Left behind/vulnerable population group  

Smallholders (individuals and groups) who have implemented practices, technologies, or techniques aimed at improving their water use efficiency or productivity for purposes such as farming, livestock rearing, and small-scale industries.
 
Both primary stakeholder (those directly receiving support or training) and secondary/indirect stakeholders (those benefiting from broader community or infrastructure improvements) should be included in this measure.

Conduct household and/or individual surveys to gather data on access to sustainable water sources for productive use and practices. Include questions about the reliability, quantity, and quality of water for activities such as agriculture, livestock, and small-scale industries. Verify the responses with field observations of the implementation of water-saving technologies.
 
If available: Monitoring data from irrigation or water management systems or farm-level records of water use and crop yields can confirm the increase in the water use efficiency or water productivity.

At least baseline and endline

The first step is to clearly list the water use practices and technologies and sources of water that your project is promoting to increase water efficiency and productivity. Develop a checklist that outlines:

• What specific practices and/or technologies and water sources that should be implemented by smallholders (promoted by the project).

• How these practices and/or technologies and water sources should be applied to ensure they are valid and effective. 

This checklist should be developed during the planning phase of the project, ensuring it aligns with your project goals and objectives.

Before the project activities begin, conduct a baseline survey to assess the current level of adoption of the targeted water use practices by smallholders. This will provide a reference point against which progress can be measured throughout the project. Baseline results may also inform adjustments to the prioritized practices, ensuring that the project focuses on the most relevant and impactful interventions.

Based on the defined practices, prepare a follow-up survey(s) to be conducted with smallholder farmers at endline or at specified intervals for instance annually or at midline of the project. The survey(s) should assess whether the smallholders have adopted the targeted water use practices (see KOBO survey template below).

Field visits should accompany the baseline and follow-up surveys for direct observation. During these visits, take notes, photos, and videos as evidence to verify the smallholders’ responses. This will help ensure the accuracy of the reported data and provide a more complete picture of what's happening on the ground.

If it is not feasible to survey all smallholders due to resource constraints, you may survey a representative sample of the smallholder population. Ensure that the sample size is large enough to provide a 95% confidence level for reliable results.

For example, if your project involves 500 smallholders and resource constraints limit full-scale tracking, use a sample size calculator to determine the number of smallholders needed for statistical significance. In this case, you might survey 220 smallholders.

After the survey, extrapolate the findings to estimate the total number of smallholders adopting sustainable practices. For example, if 70% of the 220 surveyed smallholders have adopted the practices, you can estimate that 70% of all 500 participants, that is 350 smallholders have adopted the promoted water use practices.

The collected data, including the baseline and follow-up surveys, should be used to monitor progress toward your project’s objectives. Regular analysis of the survey results and field visit data can provide insights into the adoption rate and areas for improvement.

IFAD:
Number of hectares of farmland under water-related infrastructure constructed/rehabilitated

• FAN 1.2.1 Number of smallholders capacitated in sustainable production, processing, and/or trade practices

• WFC 1.8 Number of smallholders who increased their net productivity per hectare