Climate change - Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029: island communities impact assessment

Assessment

Identified Impacts

Direct positive impacts identified on island communities arising from the Adaptation Plan include:

• Actions to build climate resilience through objective 9 of the National Islands Plan, the Carbon Neutral Islands project and the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan.
• Actions to improve the islands transport connectivity, including its resilience and reliability in response to changing weather conditions, through the final Islands Connectivity Plan, phases 1 and 2 of the proposed Vessels and Ports Plan 2024-2045, and the incorporation of the Climate Change Adaptation Report findings and recommended actions into the Highland and Islands Airports Limited’s^[8] risk management process.
• Actions to improve digital connectivity in rural locations through the Reaching 100% (R100) broadband programme (to be further aligned with the UK Government’s Project Gigabit). 12,000 of the premises to be connected through R100 contracts are located in island communities.
• Actions to increase awareness and understanding of climate risk in vulnerable communities (including islands) through community adaptation learning via Adaptation Scotland.
• Actions to support economic development activities on the islands that support adaptation through collaboration between the Highlands and Islands Enterprise and key regional adaptation partnership initiatives.

• Actions to support locally-led climate action through a national network of Community Climate Action Hubs including the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub, the Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network Hub and the Outer Hebrides Climate Action Hub.

• A Gaelic easy read version of the plan and English/Gaelic combined children’s version of the plan is being published.

No directly negative impacts on island communities arising from the Plan have been identified.

Indirect positive impacts on island communities arising from the Plan identified include:

• Actions to futureproof aquaculture and fishing industries including Fisheries Management Plans, Farmed Fish Health Framework and Aquaculture Climate Resilience Plans
• Actions to protect the Scottish population’s health from weather-related harm through the Adverse Weather and Health Plan.
• Actions to support adaptation of agriculture including shifting half of all agricultural funding to be conditional on delivering for climate and nature, including climate adaptation.^[9]
• Actions to support for businesses on the islands dedicated adaptation advice for businesses via Adaptation Scotland and
• Actions to improve trade route resilience through strong UK Government and international engagement.
• Actions to encourage the local tourism economies through building the resilience of the historic environment (Our Past, Our Future).

Indirect negative impacts on island communities arising from the Adaptation Plan identified include:

• The Adaptation Plan does not make provisions for extreme weather events forcing school closures. Weather-related education disruption that is more likely to particularly effect island communities due to their geographic location. This impact will be felt across the whole of Scotland however it may be felt more severely by island communities.
• The Adaptation Plan does not make provisions for the specific difficulties of smaller islands accessing some healthcare services which is likely to be further disrupted by extreme weather occurrences. Where possible, regional NHS Adaptation Plans covering island communities should consider potential mitigations to ensure resilience of service under changing climate conditions and future versions of the plan should consider this aspect more strongly.

Mitigations & Enhancement

Strategic management from planning to implementation of the actions identified will be the most influential enhancer of all positive impacts. Ensuring island communities have the tools, resources and knowledge to take advantage of these policies to their full extent is also critical.

In regards to weather-related education disruption, opportunities to design effective policy in this area should be explored across the duration of the plan’s lifetime and future versions of the plan could consider this aspect more strongly.

In regards to transport disruptions to healthcare, regional NHS Adaptation Plans covering island communities should consider potential mitigations where possible to ensure resilience of service under changing climate conditions and future versions of the plan should consider this aspect more strongly.

Determination

In your opinion, is the Adaptation Plan likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities)?

In preparing the ICIA, undergoing consultation and implementing mitigation and enhancements, the Scottish Government has formed an opinion that the policy is not likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities).

Authorisation

Name: Catriona Laing

Position: Joint Deputy Director, Domestic Climate Change Division

Signature: Catriona Laing

Date Completed: 10/09/24