National Flood Resilience Strategy
Sets out a vision for a flood resilient Scotland through to 2045 and beyond.
Glossary
Adaptation Scotland Programme: Adaptation Scotland is a programme initiated by the Scottish Government to address the challenges posed by climate change. It focuses on enhancing Scotland’s resilience and preparedness for the impacts of a changing climate.
Agricultural Reform Programme: The programme introducing the new agricultural support framework which will start in 2027.
The future of agricultural support (ruralpayments.org)
Annual Average Damages (AADs): Annual average damages (AADs) are the theoretical average economic damages caused by flooding when considered over a very long period of time. It does not mean that level of damage will occur every year: in many years there will be no damages, in some years minor damages and in a few years major damages may occur.
Biodiversity: Short for biological diversity. The number and types of plants and animals that exist in a particular area. Biodiversity is central to all of our lives and it is now very widely accepted that biodiversity is in crisis, both globally and in Scotland.
Biodiversity strategy to 2045: tackling the nature emergency
Blue and green infrastructure: The combination of blue and green infrastructure.
Blue infrastructure: Water environment features within the natural and built environments that provide a range of ecosystem services. Blue features include rivers, lochs, wetlands, canals, other water courses, ponds, coastal and marine areas including beaches, porous paving, sustainable urban drainage systems and raingardens.
Blue and green drainage networks: Connected areas of blue and green infrastructure, sustainable drainage systems and open space, that together form an integrated drainage system. These work side-by-side with manmade drainage infrastructure such as roads drainage and sewer systems to improve the drainage of urban areas to reduce flooding.
Catchment: The area of land and the water collected in it, especially the collection of rainfall over a natural drainage area. For example, a river catchment is the area of land drained by a river and all its tributaries. The catchment area may include hill slopes and floodplains, lochs, forests, agricultural fields and urban areas.
Climate Action Hubs: Climate Action Hubs are supported by Scottish Government and encourage local action which tackles both climate change and nature loss.
Community-led climate action - Climate change - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
ClimateXChange: Scotland’s centre of expertise on climate change.
ClimateXChange | Scotland's centre of expertise on climate change
Coastal Adaptation Plans: These plans aim to safeguard coastal communities and assets as climate and coast continue to change. The Scottish Government is supporting local authorities to prepare these plans.
Dynamic Coast - Coastal Change Adaptation
CoastSnap: CoastSnap is a global citizen science project to capture our changing coastlines.
Community Flood Resilience Group(s): Local groups reflecting the interests of their communities. these differ from area to area, depending on the particular issues faced by communities. Scottish Flood Forum provide help and ongoing support to such groups in flood risk areas.
Improving Flood Resilience Through Community Action - SFF
Edinburgh’s Water Vision: The City of Edinburgh Council’s long-term and sustainable approach to river, coastal and storm water management across the city and its environs, respecting its unique historic heritage. It involves all stakeholders with the aim of addressing the flooding and water quality risks associated with our changing climate as a result of changes in rainfall and sea level rise.
Edinburgh’s Water Vision – Planning Edinburgh
Edzell Flood Group: A local flood action group set up by residents in Edzell in Angus. The group works together as a community to reduce the flooding impacts in Edzell.
Flood Disadvantage: A situation when vulnerable neighbourhoods are exposed to flooding. In other words, disadvantage occurs where high social vulnerability to flooding spatially coincides with flood hazard-exposure represented by flood extents.
Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009: An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about the assessment and sustainable management of flood risks, including provision for implementing European Parliament and Council Directive 2007/60/EC; to make provision about local authorities' and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's functions in relation to flood risk management; to amend the Reservoirs Act 1975; and for connected purposes.
Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009
Flood Risk Management Plans: Flood risk management plans coordinate efforts to reduce flood risk and impacts. The plans set objectives and identify actions that are taken forward by responsible organisations.
Flood Risk Management Plans | SEPA
Flooding in Scotland – Who does what?: The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 allocates clear roles and responsibilities for managing flood risk in Scotland, in which we work in partnership with SEPA, local authorities, Scottish Water and other responsible authorities including the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority and Cairngorms National Park Authority.
Floodline: Floodline provides live flooding information and advice on how to prepare for or cope with the impacts of flooding 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Floodline | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Floodplain: The area of land next to a river or at the coast that is covered by water in a flood.
Flood Guidance Statement: The Scottish Flood Forecasting Service produces a daily, national flood guidance statement issued to Category 1 and 2 agencies, such as emergency responders, local authorities and other organisations with flooding management duties. Each daily statement gives an assessment of the risk of flooding for the next five days and provides organisations with valuable time to put preparations in place to reduce the impact of flooding.
Your guide to using the Flood Guidance Statement (sepa.org.uk)
Flood Recovery Framework: The Scottish Government is developing a Flood Recovery Framework setting out the respective responsibilities for flood recovery caused by extreme weather events. The Framework will set out the terms under which the Scottish Government will make available support for local authorities to help communities and businesses return to normal or adapt to a more sustainable arrangement following a flooding event.
Forestry Grant Scheme: The Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS) is administered by Scottish Forestry and offers financial support for the creation of new woodland and the sustainable management of existing woodland.
Scottish Forestry - Forestry Grant Scheme
Green infrastructure: Features or spaces within the natural and built environments that provide a range of ecosystem services.
Greenspace: Space, other than agricultural land, which serves or could serve a recreational or an amenity function for the public, or provides aesthetic value to the public including parks, gardens, playing fields, children’s play areas, woods and other natural areas, grassed areas, cemeteries and allotments, green corridors like paths, disused railway lines, rivers and canals, derelict, vacant and contaminated land which has the potential to be transformed.
Integrated Catchment Study: Integrated Catchment Studies investigate the interaction between sewage networks, surface water drainage networks, watercourses, and, where applicable, the sea.
Just Transition: Is how we secure a fairer, greener future for all by working in partnership to deliver fairness and tackle inequality and injustice.
Large flood protection structures: Larger flood protection schemes for urban areas are delivered by local authorities under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009.
An example is the recently completed Stonehaven flood protection scheme.
Stonehaven Flood Protection Scheme - Aberdeenshire Council
Leaky Woody Dams: Leaky dams (also known as large woody debris dams or leaky barriers) are just one of a range of Natural Flood Management (NFM) techniques. Natural flood management involves implementing measures to:
Leaky dams mimic the natural obstruction caused by trees and branches falling into the river. They are used to slow the rate of flow in the river, creating a backing-up effect and releasing water gradually.
Local Development Plans: Each Planning Authority has a Local Development Plans (LDP) setting out land use proposals and planning policies intended to guide development and inform planning decisions within their area. The Planning Authorities in Scotland are the 32 local authorities and the two national parks.
Local Place Plans: Local Place Plans offer communities the opportunity to develop proposals for their local area, expressing their aspirations and ambitions for future change.
Local Place Plans were introduced by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, which contains a new right for communities to produce their own plans as part of the new Scottish planning system. Local Place Plans contain the community’s proposals for the development and use of land, and provide a new opportunity for communities to feed into the planning system with ideas and proposals.
Making space for water: The process of understanding where water will naturally go and considering how we can make space for it. Making space for water is particularly useful in terms of increasing our flood resilience by reducing our exposure to flooding.
Masterplanning: Strategic planning for an area proposed to be regenerated or changed in order to meet a perceived challenge or strategic need.
Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP): The Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership is a non-statutory, collaborative partnership between public bodies involved in managing surface water, water quality, flood risk, investment planning and economic development in a regulatory, service provision, asset management and/or infrastructure provision capacity along with organisations involved with the operation of the sewerage and drainage network within the metropolitan Glasgow area.
Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP) - MGSDP
Multiple benefits: In the context of flood resilience, multiple benefits refers to the actions we take to make places more flood resilient that also deliver other benefits for communities. For example, natural flood management can improve flood resilience, habitat, biodiversity, increase green space in our towns and cities, and contribute to our health and well-being.
National Marine Plan: Scotland’s National Marine Plan covers the management of both Scottish inshore waters (out to 12 nautical miles) and offshore waters (12 to 200 nautical miles).
Scotland's National Marine Plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4): National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is our national spatial strategy for Scotland. It sets out our spatial principles, regional priorities, national developments and national planning policy.
National Planning Framework 4 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
National Standards for Community Engagement: The National Standards for Community Engagement are good-practice principles designed to improve and guide the process of community engagement.
National Standards for Community Engagement | SCDC - We believe communities matter
Natural flood management (NFM): Using natural processes to reduce the risk of flooding. These measures protect, restore, and mimic the natural functions of catchments, floodplains and the coast to slow and store water and dissipate wave energy.
NFM measures can include soil and land management, river and floodplain management, woodland management, run-off management and coast and estuary management.
Peatland Restoration: Peatland restoration is a term describing measures to restore the original form and function of peatlands, or wet peat-rich areas.
Peatland ACTION is a national programme to restore peatlands across Scotland.
It is led and funded by Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with NatureScot, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Scottish Water, and Forestry and Land Scotland.
Peatland ACTION - What we have achieved | NatureScot
Place-based approach: A place-based approach is about understanding the issues, interconnections and relationships in a place and coordinating action and investment to improve the quality of life for that community.
Place Based Approaches | Our Place
Place Standard Tool: The Place Standard tool provides a simple framework to structure conversations about place.
The Place Standard tool is a way of assessing places. | Our Place
Place Standard with a Climate Lens: The Place Standard with a Climate Lens has been developed to help people understand how climate change might play out in a local area and support them to design their future place with climate in mind.
It builds on the core Place Standard tool and is designed to support a joined up, collaborative, and participative approach to climate action within a place.
New! - Place Standard with a Climate Lens | Our Place
Placemaking: The process of creating good quality places that promotes people’s health, happiness and wellbeing. It concerns the environment in which we live; the people that inhabit these spaces; and the quality of life that comes from the interaction of people and their surroundings. Placemaking is a collaborative approach involving the design and development of places over time, with people and communities central to the process.
Property Flood Resilience Measures: Property Flood Resilience, or PFR, is the term used to describe measures that help to reduce flood risk to people and property. Using PFR enables households and businesses to reduce the damage caused by floods, making the process of recovery and reoccupation easier.
Supporting documents - Living with flooding: action plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Public body: A formally established organisation that is publicly funded to deliver a public or government service.
Raingarden: A garden that lies below the level of its surroundings, designed to absorb rainwater that runs off from a surface such as a patio or roof.
Ready Scotland: Ready Scotland is run by Scottish Government. It aims to make Scotland more resilient to emergencies.
Advice for emergencies in Scotland (ready.scot)
Riparian: Riparian refers to the area at the edge of a river, or things relating to this area.
River Restoration: River restoration is when rivers that have been modified in the past are restored to their natural state. It enhances water quality by reducing pollution and promotes a healthier ecosystem. It also helps mitigate the impact of floods, as restored rivers can better absorb and manage excess water, protecting surrounding areas.
Run-off: This refers to water running across a surface before it enters a drain or watercourse. For example, during heavy rainfall more water may fall onto a field than can soak into the soil. The water that can’t soak in will run off.
Scotland’s Flood Risk Management Plans: Are Scotland’s route map for increasing community flood resilience. They are key to Scotland’s health, wellbeing and economic success, with an estimated 284,000 homes, businesses and services identified as at risk of flooding. The plans are also an important response to the climate emergency, as the number of homes businesses and services at risk of flooding are projected to increase by an estimated 110,000 by the 2080s. SEPA leads Scotland’s flood risk management planning process. The plans outline the long-term ambition for increasing flood resilience by setting objectives and identifying actions.
Flood Risk Management Plans | SEPA
Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4: National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is Scottish Government’s national spatial strategy for Scotland. It sets out spatial principles, regional priorities, national developments and national planning policy.
Supporting documents - National Planning Framework 4
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA): Scotland's national flood forecasting, flood warning and strategic flood risk management authority.
Flooding | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Scottish Flood Forecasting Service: A strategic partnership between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Met Office combining hydrological and meteorological information to improve the accuracy of flood forecasts for the whole of Scotland.
The Scottish Flood Forecasting Service produces a daily, national flood guidance statement issued to Category 1 and 2 agencies, such as emergency responders, local authorities and other organisations with flooding management duties. Each daily statement gives an assessment of the risk of flooding for the next five days and provides organisations with valuable time to put preparations in place to reduce the impact of flooding.
Forecasting flooding | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Scottish Flood Forum: The Scottish Flood Forum is an independent organisation which supports individuals and communities at risk from flooding.
The Scottish Flood Forum - Supporting Flood Risk Communities
Scottish National Adaptation Plan 3: Published in September 2024 this sets out the actions that the Scottish Government and partners will take to respond to the impacts of climate change. This Adaptation Plan sets out actions from 2024 to 2029.
Draft Scottish National Adaptation Plan (2024-2029)
Scottish and Southern Energy Networks Resilient Communities Fund: Scottish and Southern Energy Networks Resilient Communities Fund's helped communities become more resilient in the face of storms, severe weather and prolonged power interruptions. It ran as part of their Resilient Communities Fund.
Resilient Communities Fund - SSEN
Sniffer: Sniffer is an organisation helping Scotland get ready for the impacts of climate change by raising awareness of climate risks and opportunities and creating catalysts for collaborative action through the Adaptation Scotland Programme.
Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS): Are a natural approach to managing drainage in and around properties and developments. They work by slowing and holding back water that runs off from a site. They help manage and control surface water.
Sustainable drainage (susdrain.org)
Transport and utility organisations: This includes road and rail, ports and harbours, electricity, gas and water service providers.
UK Forestry Standard: The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) is the technical standard for sustainable forest management in the UK. It sets out the approach of the four governments of the UK, and defines the requirements and provides guidance for foresters on how to practise sustainable forest management in the UK. Sustainable forest management is essential to ensure the supply of good quality fresh water, provide protection from natural hazards such as fooding or soil erosion, and protect aquatic species.
The UK Forestry Standard - Forest Research
Water body: Is a certain, clearly distinguishable part of surface water, such as the sea, a loch, a pond, a wetland, a stream, river or a part of a stream or river.
Water butt: A container for storing rainwater which can then be used to water gardens or clean driveways etc.
Water Resilient Dundee: The Water Resilient Dundee (WRD) partnership aims to jointly plan and sustainably manage water in the City of Dundee to help the City respond to climate change now and for future generations.
Watercourse: A natural or artificial channel through which water flows. This could be a river, stream, canal etc.
Contact
Email: Flooding_Mailbox@gov.scot
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