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Research Funding cycle: 2022-27

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CRW2022_07 Climate Crisis: informing Scotland’s actionable mitigation and adaptation response to water scarcity

Hydrological Extremes, Coasts and Risk Management
Loch water reflection - Photo credit: Sarah Halliday

CREW Code: CRW2022_07

Theme: Hydrological Extremes, Coasts and Risk Management

Project status: Project complete. Click here to visit the publication page to view the project outputs.

Type of project: Capacity Building

Lead research team: University of Dundee

Scotland’s climate is changing at a rate unprecedented in human history. We are becoming exposed to climate related risks, such as water scarcity, that were not considered significant in the past and have not been planned for. The first phase in addressing this shift in risk has been to develop early warning and emergency measures to mitigate the impacts of exceptional events such as the 2018 European drought and its impact in Scotland. However, as we better understand the projected increasing severity and frequency of dry periods and our potential future demands on water supply, an adaptation gap has become evident that risks the security of what has, up until now, been seen as a dependable, high-quality water supply.

In this project the research team review past, present and future changes in water scarcity risk in Scotland. Through engagement with a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the water sector and government agencies the research team asked the questions: 1) What is currently being done to reduce the likelihood and severity of water scarcity? 2) How effective are these strategies now and will they still work under a changing climate future? 3) What additional actions do we need to take to address water scarcity in the future?

In answering these questions, the research team highlight the current challenges in addressing the water scarcity risk and provide recommendations on how to address them. These recommendations are presented as programme of work over the short and long term. To take it forward, the research team propose a governance structure formed of representatives from the relevant agencies and in partnership with businesses and communities. The programme is a prioritised set of recommended actions that would contribute to the delivery of a system of national water resource planning, supported by improved levels of water stewardship from across society. The planning will be informed by better access to water supply and demand information and a programme of research that addresses the evidence gaps and improves knowledge exchange across the water sector.

This project has completed. Click here to visit the publication page to view the project outputs.

 

 

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CRW2022_02 The effect of shellfish, kelp and sea grass beds on flood risk and coastal erosion in Scotland

Hydrological Extremes, Coasts and Risk Management
Scottish Coastline - Photo credit: Rebekah Burman, James Hutton Institute

CREW Code: CRW2022_02

Theme: Hydrological Extremes, Coasts and Risk Management

Project status: Project complete. Click here to visit the publication page to view the project outputs.

Type of project: Capacity building

Lead research team: Heriot-Watt University

Coastal flooding and erosion are increasing problems around the Scottish coastline resulting from climatic changes such as increased storm frequency and intensity, as well as rising sea levels. These pose risks to human life, infrastructure and properties, with negative consequences for the national economy. Besides ecosystem services such as habitat for threatened and commercial species, fisheries production, nutrient cycling, sediment stabilisation, water purification and carbon storage, marine vegetation canopies and shellfish habitats can dampen waves and currents, with the possibility of reducing risk of coastal flooding and erosion. However, there is a lack of consolidated information relating to the distribution and extent of such habitats at a national scale. In addition, evaluation of the potential for NFM by these habitats in a Scottish context has not been done. The project set out to address these knowledge gaps by focusing on 4 key habitats: kelp forests; seagrass beds; oyster reefs; and blue mussel beds. 

The project aimed to evaluate how well selected shallow marine habitats (specifically kelp forests, seagrass beds, oyster reefs and blue mussel beds) protect the Scottish coastline from erosion and flooding. Consequently, a secondary aim was to assess the need and feasibility for protection and/or restoration of these habitats in relation to their potential role in Natural Flood Management (NFM) and erosion control. The following research tasks were undertaken:

1. Gathering and standardising available information on the location and extent around Scotland’s coast of the 4 habitats.

2. Predicting the reduction of waves and wave run-up by the 4 habitats using recently developed computer simulations.

3. Applying these predictions to specific Scottish locations to assess the degree of flood and erosion control by these habitats.

4. Acquiring information from stakeholders through a workshop to inform the project direction.

5. Assessing the effects of harvesting on the 4 habitats.

6. Assessing the potential for coastal protection through restoration of the 4 habitats.

 

This project has completed. Click here to visit the publication page to view the project outputs.

 

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CRW2022_04 Assessing the socio-economic impacts of soil degradation on Scotland's water environment

Catchment Management, Land and Water Resource Management
Swollen river with sediment. Photograph courtesy of Nikki Baggaley

CREW Code: CRW2022_04

Theme: Land and Water Resouce Management

Project status: This project has completed. Click here to visit the publication page to view the project outputs.

Type of project: Capacity building

Scotland’s various policies to protect its soils from degradation create economic benefits. In this project the economic costs of soil degradation in Scotland were estimated. Using the best available data the impacts of soil compaction, sealing and contamination were assessed. The extent of these degradation processes was then used to calculate the costs across Scotland. Compacted soils can cost farmers £15 to £209 per ha in extra fuel use. The annual combined impact on crop yields and fuel use across Scotland is likely to cost between £25 million and £75 million. The compaction of soils and sealing by infrastructure could lead to a 1% increase in flooding, with insurance claims of between £57,000 and £76,000 per property flood event. Soil compaction can exacerbate erosion and increase previous estimates of erosion costs. Soil degradation also arises from contamination and the loss of biodiversity, but these are difficult to estimate. Given large costs of soil degradation annually, policies to protect this natural resource will benefit Scotland’s economy. The project team only costed direct impacts, using the available data that was often limited. The indirect costs on pollution, human health, supply chains and greenhouse gas emissions will be much greater, and additional monitoring is required to assess these effectively.

Lead research team: James Hutton Institute

This project has completed. Visit the publication page here to view the project outputs.

 

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CRW2022_03 Mitigating climate change impacts on the water quality of Scottish standing waters

Hydrological Extremes, Coasts and Risk Management
Scottish Loch - Photo Credit Linda May

CREW Code: CRW2022_03

Theme: Hydrological Extremes, Coasts and Risk Management

Project status: Project complete. Click here to visit the publication page to view the project outputs.

Type of project: Capacity building 

There is a policy focus at national and international levels on mitigating climate change impacts by reducing carbon emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. However, even if we can slow climate change down, we cannot prevent or reverse it. So, alternative approaches must be used to lessen its effects. These include adaptive interventions that increase the resilience, and reduce the vulnerability, of people and nature to weather extremes and other climate change impacts.

Scottish standing waters are already warming at an alarming rate and are projected to continue warming into the future. This is likely to cause more frequent and/or more intense algal blooms unless measures to reduce their growth are put in place. Since we cannot cool our water bodies, and increasing their flushing rates is unlikely to be a widely applicable solution, this study explored other options for reducing the likelihood of algal blooms worsening under climate change. The main aim of this study was to inform fit for purpose strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change on Scottish standing waters.

This project has completed. Click here to visit the publication page to view the project outputs.

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Our Hydrological Extremes, Coasts and Risk Management theme aims to improve the understanding of climate-water interactions from source to sea.

Our research supports key policies, including Scotland’s Climate Change Plan and the Flood Risk Management Act. 

CREW's Hydrological Extremes, Coasts and Risk Management theme focusses on providing high quality science knowledge regarding:

  • Nature based solutions
  • Resilience and adaption to climate change
  • Hydrological extremes: flooding and water scarcity

The projects undertaken within this theme support policy and regulation areas including:

 

Recent research published within this thematic area includes:

 
Key legacy projects published within this thematic area include:
 
  • 2022 - Effective future communication of flood risk in Scotland - this project explored how to improve flood risk communication in Scotland, highlighting the need for audience-specific approaches. It emphasised clear messaging, community involvement, and actionable guidance to enhance resilience and avoid maladaptive responses.
  • 2020 - Impacts of Flooding in North-east Scotland - in response to severe flooding in the winter of 2015/16, CREW commissioned research in Ballater and Garioch to understand long-term flood impacts and improve recovery support. The project team informed strategies for enhancing flood-risk management and strengthening community resilience.
  • 2019 - Quantifying rates of urban creep in Scotland - this project mapped urban creep in Edinburgh from 1990 to 2015, revealing an annual loss of 6.44ha of vegetated land. Findings provide Scotland’s first city-wide estimates, highlighting impacts on surface water flood risk.

CRW2022_06 Emerging Contaminants: Informing Scotland’s strategic monitoring and policy approaches on substances of increasing concern

Water Quality and Health
River with shingle - Photo credit: K, Marshall

CREW code: CRW2022_06

Theme: Water Quality & Health 

Type of project: Capacity Building

Project status: This project has been completed.

Please view project publication page here.

 

 

The aim of this project was to inform, prioritise, and coordinate actionable monitoring and policy-based approaches to identify, assess, and mitigate risks from substances of increasing concern to Scotland’s water environment. Contaminants of increasing concern (CICs) comprise a diverse range of substances and organisms, including chemical groups such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides; biological contaminants such as pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) genes; nanomaterials; and microplastics. CICs include compounds and organisms that are ‘new’ or increasing in presence in the environment or compounds or organisms already known to be present for which new information becomes available, e.g. on pathways or toxicities. Substances and groups considered CICs therefore evolve over time, due to new insights or new patterns of use.

Using a Substance Mapping approach, including literature review, an expert survey and a knowledge sharing workshop, the team found that based on evidence encountered, no CIC groups can be discounted for Scotland and significant data gaps exist on sources, pathways, exposure routes, hazard and risk. Many national and international databases are however available and could be consolidated for Scotland. The research team further recommended partnership working, an international review of policy options, and expansion of research capacity to further refine and fill the knowledge gaps. 

 

 

 

 

 

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CRW2022_01 Developing risk assessment approaches for PFAS and watch list parameters under the recast Drinking Water Directive

Water Quality and Health
Glass of water with flowing stream in background. Sourced from istock. copyight restrictions apply

CREW Code: CRW2022_01

Theme: Water Quality & Health

Project status: Complete. Please click here to visit the publication page to view the project outputs.

Type of project:  Capacity Building

The research project conducted assessments of the potential presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 17β-estradiol, and nonylphenol for drinking water supply sources in Scotland, to identify high risk areas and enable prioritisation of monitoring and additional knowledge generation.

PFAS, a class of synthetic chemicals produced since the 1940s, are persistent, toxic and bioaccumulative and have been linked to detrimental impacts on childhood development, cancers, and immune system disorders. Nonylphenol and 17β-estradiol are endocrine-disrupting chemicals connected to cancer, reduced fertility and obesity. Due to increasing awareness of the potential occurrence of these substances in the environment, a new standard for PFAS was introduced for Scottish drinking water in January 2023, and Scottish Water commenced a nationwide risk based sampling programme at that time. 17β-estradiol and nonylphenol were added to an EU drinking water watchlist, so Scottish Water will need to monitor for their presence in their supplies when the watch list is adopted in Scotland.

The research project estimated which supplies had the highest potential likelihood of detecting the substances in the raw (pre-treated) water. The assessments identified higher likelihood of PFAS and nonylphenol presence in those areas with higher population and industry densities (predominantly the central belt and east of Scotland), whereas areas with the highest likelihood of 17β-estradiol presence were those under more intensive agricultural use (predominantly the northeast and south of Scotland). Having identified these areas now allows further refinement of monitoring programmes to aid our understanding of the potential presence of the substances, their sources and possible treatment requirements. This in turn will inform best strategies and actions to reduce concentrations of the contaminants if necessary, not only in drinking water, but also in the envrionment.

Lead research team: University of Dundee

The project has completed. Please click here to visit the publication page to view the project outputs.

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Our Land and Water Resource Management theme aims to support the recognition and quality of the ecosystem services on which society depends.

Our research supports key policies, including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the River Basin Management Planning (RBMP 3).

CREW’s Land and Water Resource Management theme focusses on providing high quality science knowledge regarding:

• Natural capital

• Land use and soil management

• Diffuse pollution

• Net zero pathway
• Circular economy
• Blue-green infrastructure

The projects undertaken within this theme aligns with policy and regulation areas including:

 

Recent research published within this thematic area includes:

· Assessing the socio-economic impacts of soil degradation on Scotland’s water environment – the project team investigated the direct and indirect costs to society considering water quality, aquatic habitats, biodiversity and flooding.
· Understanding the relationship between water scarcity and land use in private water supply catchments - the project compiled an evidence base and offered recommendations informing policy and practice regarding how land use changes may impact the amount of water available to private water supplies (PWS).
 

Key legacy projects published within this thematic area include:

·2022 - Taking a collaborative approach in the water sector: A review of the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership - the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP) promotes collaborative surface water management. The project review highlighted lessons for future partnerships, including the need for strong coordination, knowledge-sharing, trust-building, and policy alignment to enhance flood resilience and climate adaptation.
·2016 - River restoration and biodiversity – the project found that rivers in the UK and Ireland are vital for biodiversity and human benefits but face ongoing threats. This report highlighted past damage, the need for restoration, and collaborative efforts to enhance river habitats.
·2016 - Valuing your soils – this project published the "Valuing Your Soils" guidance which provided Scottish farmers, crofters, and land managers with practical guidance on soil protection, financial benefits of better management, and efficient resource use, supported by field-sheets, technical details, and research case studies.

Our Water Quality and Health theme aims to improve the understanding of the interrelationships between water quality and human/environmental health.

Our research supports key policies, including the Drinking Water Directive and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.

CREW’s Water Quality and Health theme focusses on providing high quality science knowledge regarding:

• Water, wastewater and drainage
• Human and environmental health
• Epidemiology
• Contaminants in the environment

The projects undertaken within this theme support policy and regulation areas including:

• Drinking Water Directive
• Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
• Water Framework Directive

• One Health Framework

Recent research published within this thematic area includes:

• Emerging contaminants: informing Scotland’s strategic monitoring and policy approaches to substances of increasing concern - the aim of this project was to inform, prioritise, and coordinate actionable monitoring and policy-based approaches to identify, assess, and mitigate risks from substances of increasing concern to Scotland’s water environment. The project team used a substance mapping approach, including literature review, an expert survey and a knowledge sharing workshop.
 
• Mitigating climate change impacts on the water quality of Scottish standing waters - this project explored adaptive strategies to mitigate climate change impacts on Scottish standing waters, focusing on reducing the likelihood of worsening algal blooms as water temperatures continue to rise.
 
• Advancing Risk Assessment and Source Characterisation of PFAS Contaminants in Scottish Drinking Water Supplies – recent projects focused on developing risk assessment approaches for PFAS and other watchlist contaminants in Scottish drinking water, providing timely knowledge on monitoring and assessing these pollutants under the recast Drinking Water Directive. Research investigates the sources, pathways, and fate of PFAS compounds to enhance understanding of their presence in drinking water supplies across Scotland:

 

Key legacy projects published within this thematic area include:

·2020 – 2022 - Advancing Wastewater-Based Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 – the following three projects
advanced SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring in Scotland, refining variant detection, exploring near-source aerosol sampling, and evaluating extraction methods. Findings inform future public health surveillance and pandemic preparedness.
 
• 2021 - Scottish One Health AMR Register (SOHAR) - this project developed the Scottish One Health AMR Register, mapping AMR research in Scotland to the UK Action Plan. Findings highlighted strengths in animal health and infection control but gaps in translational research.
 
• 2022 - Reducing Pharmaceutical Pollution in Scotland – these two projects assessed pharmaceutical pollution in Scotland, identifying key medicines of concern and barriers to eco-directed prescribing. A three-pronged framework is proposed to integrate environmental criteria into healthcare and reduce pollution:

 

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