Similar names: terracing, retention trenches, infiltration trenches

The Fanya Juu technique is an agricultural practice that involves creating ridges along the contour lines of sloping land. The name Fanya juu means “throw it upwards” in Kiswahili and is very similar to Fanya chini as it consists of terrace bunds and ditches along the contour. This technique rapidly spread during the 1970s and 1980s and it is well known throughout Eastern Africa, the goal of Fanja juu contour bunds is different depending on the environmental conditions of the areas within which they are applied. Their aim in semi-arid areas is to harvest and conserve rainfall, whereas, in sub-humid zones, contour bunds are constructed to discharge excess runoff. However, their main purpose is to prevent water and soil loss and to make conditions more suitable for plants to grow. 

Fanya juu is suitable for slopes of 5-20%, similar to the ones that characterize Fanya chini interventions. The species most often used in drier zones are Pennisetum purpureum (Napier grass or Uganda grass) and Panicum coloratum (also known in southern Africa as “white buffalograss”) and the harvest can be used as fodder for livestock. Fruit trees (e.g. citrus or bananas) can be planted either immediately above the embankment or below the ditch, where runoff tends to concentrate.