Gov’t Embarks on Phase VIII of BCDP to Expand Water Access in Bauxite Communities

The Government has announced Phase VIII of the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP), a targeted initiative to expand access to potable water in several bauxite producing communities, addressing long-standing infrastructure gaps in areas affected by mining activity.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during Wednesday’s (March 4) launch and 30th anniversary celebration at the Ministry’s playfield at Hope Gardens in St. Andrew.

He emphasised that the initiative seeks to correct disparities in water access, noting that while extraction operations have long relied on a stable supply, neighbouring communities have not benefited from equivalent infrastructure development.

“So, too many of our bauxite communities… too many of our communities where bauxite mining has taken place still do not have access to potable water. That should have never been the case, because you cannot run a bauxite factory without having water,” the Minister stated.

Mr. Green explained that resources under the new phase will be directed towards practical water solutions.

“In phase eight, and this new dispensation of our BCDP, we are going to focus our resources on bringing potable water into these communities,” he indicated.

Minister Green noted that a project is already under way in one community.

“We have already highlighted a project in Hammonds that we are actively working on… with the team from [bauxite/alumina company] Jamalco. We want to ensure that… people in that community will be able to turn on their pipes and get potable water,” he added.

Mr. Green also urged elected representatives to submit additional proposals to help close remaining gaps in community development.

“I’ve asked the Members of Parliament in areas in which mining has occurred that… still do not have access to water… to send in those requests so that we can craft projects to bring water into those areas,” he said.

The water expansion initiative forms part of a broader strategy to reinvest mining derived resources into essential infrastructure, strengthening resilience in parishes where extraction has taken place.