National flood resilience strategy: equality impact assessment and fairer Scotland duty assessment

Section 1: Details of the policy/practice/project

Department/Team responsible: Scottish Government/Flooding Team

Name of Policy, Practice or Project being assessed: Scotland’s National Flood Resilience Strategy

Purpose and anticipated outcomes:

The Scottish Government committed to consulting on a Flood Resilience Strategy (FRS) in the 2022-23 Programme for Government. This consultation considered how we can build community flood resilience and engage a wider range of delivery partners to deliver more diverse range of flood management actions. Based on the findings of the consultation and a series of workshops, the strategy will set out the changes that are needed to create flood resilient places, based upon the three themes of People, Places, and Processes.

The outcomes reflect our ambition for each of the People, Places and Processes themes:

• People – Creating flood resilient places involves our people and communities
• Places – Land management and placemaking decisions follow good practice for flood resilience
• Processes – Flood resilience is blended into our places at all scales. A broader range of actions are being delivered by a broader range of delivery partners.

The Strategy will set the long-term direction and framework for improving our flood resilience. It will be supported by delivery plans, to take forward actions over specific timelines.

It is not foreseen that the Strategy in itself will unlawfully discriminate against any protected characteristics. However, the delivery of specific actions or policy development following on from this Strategy will need to carry out EqIA and FSD assessments to ensure that they do not unlawfully discriminate against any protected characteristics.

Is this a new or existing policy, practice or project?

New

Is this proposal/decision strategically important or not?

Yes

List of participants in Equality Impact Assessment Process:

• Billy Pugh
• David Faichney
• Jonathan Sewell
• Michelagh O’Neill
• Sadiyah Rehman

Date Assessment started: July 2024 Completion Date: December 2024

Please indicate who is likely to be affected: For example: Employees, visitors, contractors, women, men, young people, older people, people with disabilities etc.

The aim of the Strategy is to improve flood resilience across the piece, bringing benefits to people exposed to flooding now or in the future through climate change. Flooding has impacts across communities, however it can affect certain groups more than others, these groups are: the elderly, those with disabilities, those on lower incomes (including transgender people, minority ethnic groups and gay men who are more likely to be on lower incomes), women, pregnant women and children.