The first Given the lack of other permanent water sources, farm ponds in Bolivia date back to the 1980shave become a source of water for domestic use, drinking water for animals, when ‘k’hochas’ (supplementary irrigation of summer crops and for small -scale irrigation of highly valuable dry season crops. The water reservoirs that in the family ponds is used to irrigate up to 0.25 ha of farmland on which onion, garlic, tomato, beans and other vegetables are grown. Some farmers had dug) were enlarged with the help of heavy machineryeven have enough water to grow fruit trees. Rainwater It is collected in these common practice to protect the irrigated area and farm pondspond from cattle by building fences around them with thorny branches, taking advantage of barbed wire or stone or brick walls. The land inside the runoff fence can range from the higher slopes or water from a nearby watercourse during periods of rain0. The pond water is used for irrigation and keeping fish3 to 4 ha.
Given the lack Although different local organisations have different working methodologies and pond designs, there is an exchange of other permanent water sourcesideas between them, farm one of which is to encourage farmers to make a 10 to 30% contribution towards their pond construction. Some organisations choose to build ponds have become a source of water for domestic collective use, drinking water for animals, supplementary irrigation but - as these often encountered problems of summer crops ownership and for smallmaintenance -scale irrigation of highly valuable dry season crops. The water in the family individual ponds is used prove to irrigate up to 0.25 ha of farmland on which onion, garlic, tomato, beans and other vegetables are grown. Some farmers even have enough water to grow fruit trees. It is common practice to protect be the irrigated area and farm pond from cattle by building fences around them with thorny branches, barbed wire or stone or brick walls (see figure 1). The land inside the fence can range from 0.3 to 4 habetter option.
Although different local organisations had different working methodologies ====History and pond designsModern day====The first farm ponds in Bolivia date back to the 1980s, there was an exchange when ‘k’hochas’ (small water reservoirs that the farmers had dug) were enlarged with the help of ideas between themheavy machinery. Rainwater is collected in these farm ponds, one taking advantage of which was to encourage farmers to make the runoff from the higher slopes or water from a 10 to 30% contribution towards their nearby watercourse during periods of rain. The pond construction. Some organisations chose to build ponds water is used for collective use, but - as these often encountered problems of ownership irrigation and maintenance - individual ponds proved to be a better optionkeeping fish.
In recent years, the area under irrigation was expanded considerably and production was intensified by increasing the number and size of the ponds. In the community of Aiquile, for example, more than 1000 new ponds were constructed in the nineties. Now, a large number of government organisations, municipalities, NGOs and peasant organisations are digging, with the use of earthmoving tractors, hectares of farm ponds in many Bolivian communities. Many different designs are used for the construction of these ponds.