This publication fills a void of practical guidelines for the construction of small earth dams. It presents readers with sound, reliable and practical source material to improve dam siting and design capacity in rural areas, to introduce a beneficiary and gender sensitive approach and to enhance safety and competence in construction. A section also provides convenient guidance on costing, drafting tenders and awarding contracts. The manual is primarily aimed at technicians and others with knowledge of engineering and basic irrigation systems and processes to apply the concepts, techniques and methods proposed, using simple and straightforward design and construction procedures.