HARARE, NOV 28 1994 (IPS) - INSTEAD OF SOLVING ECONOMIC WOES, ZIMBABWE'S FOUR-YEAR-OLD STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMME (SAP) IS CREATING POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, SAY ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATIONS HERE.

''THE PROGRAMME IS FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSIONS,'' SAYS JEANLINDA MAVUNGA, A POLICY ANALYST FOR THE ZIMBABWE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION (ZERO).

THE CASH-STRAPPED GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE EMBARKED ON THE WORLD BANK AND INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND- BACKED SAP IN 1990 OSTENSIBLY TO INCREASE EXPORTS, ATTRACT LOCAL AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT, CREATE A MARKET-DRIVEN ECONOMY AND INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

BUT, SAYS MAVUNGA, ''SAP POLICIES REQUIRE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO OVER-EXPLOIT THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES, RESULTING IN DESERTIFICATION.''

FOR ZIMBABWE'S 10.4 MILLION PEOPLE, 70 PERCENT OF WHOM LIVE IN AGRICULTURALLY-BASED RURAL AREAS, THE CONSEQUENCES ARE SERIOUS.

FOR EXAMPLE, BOTH THE ANGWA AND INSIZA RIVERS, THE MAIN WATER SUPPLIES FOR NEARBY VILLAGES IN THE DROUGHT-PRONE WESTERN REGION, HAVE DRIED UP.

KHETHIWE MHLANGA, NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)'S 'AFRICA 2000 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT' PROJECT, BLAMES THIS IN PART ON FARMERS WHO TURN TO GOLD PANNING TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR INCOMES WHEN AGRICULTURAL FARMING IS IN A SLUMP.

''GOLDPANNERS ARE USING MERCURY TO TRAP FINE GOLD IN THE COUNTRY'S RIVER BANKS,'' SHE SAYS. THIS CREATES SILTATION PROBLEMS WHICH CRIPPLE WATER FLOW.

MHLANGA IS WORRIED THAT THE PROBLEM WILL SOON AFFECT HARARE'S MAIN WATER RESERVOIR, LAKE CHIVERO, WHICH SUPPLIES THE CAPITAL'S 1.2 MILLION RESIDENTS AND INDUSTRIES.

''POVERTY ALLEVIATION SHOULD BE THE FIRST STEP FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT,'' MHLANGA SAYS, ''BUT THE SAP DOES NOT ADDRESS THAT.''

ANOTHER IMMEDIATE PROBLEM IS THAT MUCH OF THE FERTILE LAND IN ZIMBABWE IS BEING EXHAUSTED AND STRIPPED OF ITS NATURAL MINERALS, SAYS EMMANUEL KORO, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER WITH ENVIRONMENT 2000, A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION.

SOARING UNEMPLOYMENT, NOW ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN 30 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY'S POTENTIAL WORK FORCE, HAS CAUSED MANY PEOPLE TO RETURN TO ALREADY CROWDED RURAL AREAS, WHERE THEY NOW WORK THE LAND.

IN ADDITION, FOREIGN-FUNDED PROJECTS HAVE DISPLACED WHOLE COMMUNITIES TO MAKE WAY FOR DEVELOPMENTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DAM IN MUTARE, ZIMBABWE'S THIRD LARGEST CITY, SAW THE DISPLACEMENT OF PEASANT FAMILIES, BUT THE GOVERNMENT ARGUED THAT THE ''DEVELOPMENT'' WARRANTED THE INCONVENIENCE.

''SAP, AS A PROGRAMME, BASES ITS SUCCESS ON THE CREATION OF JOBS CENTRED AROUND CITIES WITH A HIGH MANUFACTURING TURNOUT,'' SAYS MHLANGA. ''IT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO SERVICE A COUNTRY LIKE OURS, WITH A MAJORITY OF RURAL FOLK DEPENDENT ON THE LAND.''

SHE POINTS OUT THAT ALTHOUGH THE USE OF HARMFUL FERTILISERS HELP FARMERS KEEP UP WITH THE INTENSE PACE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, ORGANIC FERTILISERS ARE MUCH HEALTHIER.

''BUT,'' SHE ADMITS, ''THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT SUPPLIED AT REASONABLE PRICES FOR THE SMALL SCALE FARMERS IN THE RURAL AREAS.

''A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SAP, ENSURING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE POOR BY HELPING THEM TO RELY ON THEIR RESOURCES RATHER THAN DEPENDING ON GOVERNMENT RATIONS, WOULD BE BETTER,'' SHE ADDS. (ENDS/IPS/CM/JS/DC/GK/94)

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