Removing sediment from reservoirs is an important part of the costs of hydro-power generation. Under the “Rewarding Upland Poor for Environmental Services” project (RUPES), an initiative by ICRAF, upstream farmers changed land-use practices for reducing soil erosion and sedimentation load in streams. The sedimentation rate was used as an indicator to measure the effectiveness of the agreed activities. Monitoring sedimentation rate as an indicator for the positive impact of improving land-use practices made the success of the changes in land-use practices transparent and motivated all participants to contribute to the scheme. Clarifying land tenure and diversifying land use were important success factors, improving both, environmental condition and local livelihoods.
Farmers adapt and diversify land-use, based on PES scheme with hydro-power company in Sumberjaya