Over generations, the ethnic minorities of Nepal, who practice fireless shifting cultivation, known as 'gujultyaune', have successfully used contour bunding to control soil erosion, promote water retention, and increase crop production. Contour bunding is a proven sustainable land management practice in areas where the soil productivity of marginal, sloping, and hilly lands is very low. While it is both low cost and simple to implement, it does have the drawback that establishing contour bunds is very labour intensive. When members of a community work together to establish contour bunds the whole village can benefit. By working collectively, a community can establish contour bunds that will benefit everyone and not individual farmers alone.
