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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Health, safety, security and environment risk mitigation in a community-based reforestation-for‑carbon project
Forest Policy and Economics, Vol.181, pp.1-12
2025
Abstract
Reforestation efforts carried out with local communities need to confront health, safety, security, and environment (HSSE) challenges different from those experienced in industrial forestry. Here we describe our collaborative and iterative approach to HSSE development and implementation in a community-based reforestation for carbon project in the Philippines. Community participants recognised many HSSE risks related to tree seedling production, planting, and plantation maintenance and monitoring, but previously lacked resources to mitigate them. Investments in HSSE (i.e., training, safety equipment, and staff health insurance) were substantial, amounting to 3.14 % of Project expenditures in the Philippines. Over a three-year period, 33 % of reported health-and-safety incidents were related to illness and 31 % to vehicular accidents or near-misses, most of which (92/95) were reported by staff members not community workers. Difficulties in changing cultural and behavioral norms substantially impeded development of a safety culture with shared understanding of HSSE responsibilities. Engagement of contractors with different HSSE policies to those of the Project also resulted in inconsistencies in practices. Fundamental lessons continued to be learned about safe reforestation, but further research is needed on how to improve safety culture in community-based reforestation. Recognising HSSE responsibilities should be explicitly acknowledged as part of carbon market requirements for issuance of carbon credits from community-based reforestation.
Details
- Title
- Health, safety, security and environment risk mitigation in a community-based reforestation-for‑carbon project
- Authors
- Alexandra A. Catling (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research CentreIgor Nascimento de Carvalho - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research CentreJohn Herbohn - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research CentreDennis Peque - Visayas State UniversityLuiz Pereira - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research CentreFrancis E. Putz - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research CentreClaudia Romero - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research CentreGrahame Applegate - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
- Publication details
- Forest Policy and Economics, Vol.181, pp.1-12
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.forpol.2025.103656
- ISSN
- 1872-7050; 1389-9341
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- Figures partially created in BioRender. Catling, A. (n.d.) https://BioRender.com/patzfdu. Data are unsuitable to post as they include confidential information about staff incident reports.
- Grant note
- This research was undertaken with financial support provided by the University of the Sunshine Coast.
- Organisation Unit
- Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991184299002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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