Hove, Charles Jorobiah Gwenhamo
(1992)
The economics and policy implications of government investment in water and irrigation development in Zimbabwe.
PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Abstract
The study examines and analyses the Government of Zimbabwe's investment policy in water and irrigation agriculture between 1980 and 1985 from an economic and policy approach. The approach emphasises both the economic and policy implications that result from such public investment. The major objective of the study is to assess whether or not public investment in water and irrigation has satisfied Government economic and policy objectives of 'growth and equity'. The cost-benefit framework has been adopted in the assessment of the performance of the commercial irrigation sector. Using this framework, the study seeks to show whether chosen policies have optimized such economic benefits as economic growth, profitability, foreign exchange earnings, and employment creation, for the costs incurred. Small-scale peasant schemes are assessed using cost-effective analysis framework. On the basis of this method, the study examines the extent to which chosen policy strategies and projects have maximized equity objectives such as the increase in food production, improvement in standard of living, and increase in income earnings etc, at least cost of production. Throughout the analysis of the two sectors, the role played by public subsidies in all the cost structures is examined. In the case of peasant schemes the costs are compared with those of the rain-fed peasant agriculture in order to assess the incremental equity, or lack of it, due to irrigation. Social and environmental effects of these policies and their impact on costs and benefits are also discussed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The whole analysis takes place against the background of national economic decline, rising investment costs and rising public debt. The question of the economy's ability to support a subsidy-based investment policy is central in the whole study as this raises serious implications for future investment. Alternative investment strategies and future research areas are suggested.
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