GS1247 VPA 264 Improved Kitchen Regimes Multi-Country PoA - Dowa Boreholes, Malawi

Audit Analysis

The Dowa Boreholes VPA under the GS1247 multi-country PoA has verified additionality and no reversal events, but is undermined by a negative SDG 5 impact (29–39% increase in water-collection time), multiple borehole failures, a 0% leakage deduction with only a 'deemed negligible' justification, and a project-specific baseline. The extensive list of material findings, open forward actions, and low extraction confidence across 42 documents signal significant data-quality and governance concerns that limit confidence in the credit claims.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠SDG 5 impact is negative: the monitoring report reports a 29–38.9% increase in time spent collecting water and firewood compared to baseline, indicating the project is worsening a key social outcome for women.
• ⚠Leakage deduction was reduced from 5% in the PDD (2023) to 0% in the 2025 verification report with only a 'deemed negligible' justification, increasing credit claims without a documented re-analysis.
• ⚠Multiple boreholes were removed from crediting due to water quality issues or extended out-of-service periods, and deviations were approved for cholera and Cyclone Freddy, indicating operational fragility.
• ⚠The project is classified under an energy-efficiency methodology (TPDD-TEC v3.1) and 'industrial' sector, yet the VPA delivers borehole water supply — a methodological and sectoral mismatch that raises greenwashing risk.

Credit Vintages