Health, safety, security and environment risk mitigation in a community-based reforestation-for‑carbon project

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. • Community forestry requires unique safety protocols. • Safety protocols are best developed collaboratively and iteratively. • Incident reporting gaps are challenging to close. • Safety cultures can emerge over time with effort and shared learning. • Carbon markets should reward safety investments in community-based forestry.