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==Suitable conditions==
* Base of the pond should be impermeable, e.g. unfissured rock or clay, to save costs and prevent having to find a form of lining.
* Minimize excavation – use natural or man-made topographical features, e.g. borrow pits from road construction, or sloping ground.
- High cost of construction
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==Resilience to changes in the environment==
====Drought====
'''Effects of drought''': Tend to dry up quickly, especially if unlined; Conflict over water for animals.
'''Underlying causes of effects''': Lack of rainfall; High evaporation rates; High seepage rates through base of pond and through dam; Storage not sufficient for demand – silting up of ponds due to high silt load, high level of work in constructing ponds.
'''To increase resiliency of WASH system''': Reduce evaporation & seepage; Follow proper construction methods; Reduce siltation so there can be more volume capacity; Promote private ownership of ponds, so that de-silting process more likely; Improve access to low-cost loans with long-time repayment conditions so that farmers can replicate technology; Phased construction until capacity is sufficient for water demand.
==Construction, operations and maintenance==
'''General advice on cement''': A common cause of cracks in structures and linings (e.g. in tanks, dams, waterways, wells) is errors in mixing and applying the cement. First of all, it is important that only pure ingredients are used: clean water, clean sand, clean rocks. The materials have to be mixed very thoroughly. Secondly, the amount of water during mixing needs to minimal: the concrete or cement needs to be just workable, on the dry side even, and not fluid. Thirdly, it is essential that during curing the cement or concrete is kept moist at all times, for at least a week. Structures should be covered with plastic, large leaves or other materials during the curing period, and kept wet regularly.
'''Specific advice''':
When the community assembles to plan and build the pond, water user groups are recommended to be ethnically homogeneous or female homogeneous as they might work better for longer term sustainability.