The Scottish Government published the new "National Flood Resilience Strategy" on 18 December. The strategy "sets out a vision for a flood resilient Scotland through to 2045 and beyond".

The estimated expected cost of flooding impact in Scotland is around £260 million per year, making it Scotland's costliest hazard. By 2080, the number of homes at risk of flooding will be nearly 400,000, compared to the 284,000 that are at risk today.

The strategy aims to help the Scottish Government meet the challenge of climate adaptation and facilitate the long-term changes that are required to make communities more flood resilient. The publication of the strategy was influenced by the increasingly significant effects of climate change and the increasing number of extreme weather events, such as Storm Babet in October 2023 which saw significant flooding in the east of Scotland.

The Strategy

The current flood management framework was introduced in Scotland in 2009. The strategy was introduced to build on the success of the existing flood risk management plans and forms part of the new Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029 that sets out the actions that the Scottish Government and its partners will take to respond to the long-term climate breakdown.

The Scottish Government engaged with flood risk management stakeholders and communities in 2023 and 2024 to prepare the strategy and has subsequently structured it around three target outcomes of "People", "Places", and "Processes":

  1. "People" refers to the Scottish Government's intention to involve communities as much as possible while working towards flood resilience;
  2. "Places" relates to how land management plays an integral role in flood mitigation; and
  3. "Processes" refers to the goal of giving more options to a broader range of "delivery partners" (such as local authorities, Scottish Water, NatureScot and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency).

To work towards its outcomes, the strategy identifies six "priority areas" for action that they will take forward with their delivery partners:

  1. establishing a National Flood Advisory Service;
  2. improving land use for flood mitigation;
  3. involving and supporting communities;
  4. improving flood resilience through data;
  5. supporting a broad range of flood actions; and
  6. relocation - supporting the long-term transition planning for high-risk communities.

Flood mitigation for rural communities

The strategy is directly relevant to the rural sector. The creation of the new National Flood Advisory Service, for example, will provide a specialised organisation dedicated to providing advice and support to landowners or farmers whose land is at risk of flooding. The Scottish Government hopes this Service will be the "cornerstone" in developing flood resilient places.

The "Places" outcome within the strategy focuses heavily on the role that farmers and landowners can play in mitigating the risk of flooding. The Scottish Government has stated that it will "continue working with stakeholders to make the most of existing financial support for farms to adapt for the good of the farm itself, and the wider public good". The strategy specifically mentions how the Scottish Government can assist farmers through the Agricultural Reform Programme to be prepared for "extremes in water availability" whether that be water shortages and hosepipe bans in the summer months, or flooding risks in other parts of the year, through methods such as soil management and tree planting.

The strategy also mentions the Scottish Government's target to have woodland cover over 21% of Scotland by 2032. This target has a direct link to flood resilience as tree planting can reduce erosion and thereby reduce the risk of flooding along rivers and coastline. The Scottish Government's Forestry Grant Scheme can in some cases offer riparian landowners enhanced grant payment rates where riverside woodland can mitigate risk of flooding.

Another opportunity for the rural sector will be to take advantage of the increased focus on peatland restoration. Peatland restoration is important for reducing flood risk as good quality peatland can greatly reduce the effects of runoff water from the hills, protecting land and communities downstream of it. This is recognised by the Scottish Government, and they have committed £250 million over 10 years towards restoring 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands. Funding, through the Peatland Code, is available to landowners who are willing to work towards peatland restoration.

Going forward

The National Flood Resilience Strategy is a positive step towards creating a robust and flood resilient Scotland. The focus on tackling the long-term effects of climate change, and the devastating effect it has on rural communities, reinforces the Scottish Government's commitment to the protection of the countryside.

It does, however, remain to be seen how the Scottish Government will implement the proposed actions, and the next step will be for the Scottish Government to continue community engagement and develop an implementation plan with their delivery partners.

Contributor

Matthew Ross - Trainee
Matthew Ross

Trainee