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The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability of rain-fed farm ponds for sustaining agriculture in semi-arid, southeastern Cochabamba, Bolivia. Farm ponds store runoff from foothills in the study area, delivering it by gravity flow to lowlands. A typical pond has a 1, 000 m(3) storage capacity and serves four families. The ponds have become a common farming practice in the study area. They increase agricultural output by supplementing a sparse rainfall pattern. The ponds and complementary structures such as rock check dams have also alleviated soil erosion in the study area.