Flooding is a growing concern in Scotland with climate change increasing the risk and frequency of extreme events. In Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is the body responsible for flood forecasting. Accurate flood forecasting plays a vital role in helping communities prepare, respond, and stay safe.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi or other microbes change in ways that stop medicines, like antibiotics, from working properly. This makes infections harder to treat and increases the risk of them spreading, lasting longer, or becoming more serious. The Scottish One Health AMR Register (SOHAR) brings together AMR-related research involving Scottish researchers and organisations. It shows how Scotland is contributing to national efforts and helps identify where more work is needed.
River woodlands (RW) play a crucial role in protecting river ecosystems, for example by reducing flooding, storing carbon, filtering pollution, and benefiting local communities. However, nearly 55% of surveyed riverbank in Scotland show poor RW health. This highlights a need for RW restoration. While RW initiatives like Riverwoods are gaining traction, scaling them up remains challenging. In 2022, Riverwoods conducted a review of existing research on RW benefits, identifying 60 key knowledge gaps.
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.
Title: Natural Capital and River Basin Management Planning: Protecting and Improving Scotland’s Water Environment
Type of project: Capacity Building Project.
Type of project: Capacity Building
Project status: Project in procurement. Call closed.
Project Status: Project in procurement. Call closed.
Overview: This Capacity Building project aims to explore the emerging area of interest in surface water reuse before the next regulatory planning period (April 2027-March 2033) and demonstrate clear policy/strategic alignment. The project will focus on non-potable uses, such as non-food agriculture, car washing, and cooling systems, which are less regulated, but may still require adherence to local planning and environmental legislation.
Commercial forestry operations potentially exert various influences on water quality, with impacts varying depending on the type of forestry operations and their interactions with local environmental conditions.
Scotland faces a critical public health crisis with one of the highest drug-related death rates in the developed world. Polysubstance use further complicates this issue, creating unpredictable health risks for users. Efforts to address this crisis include the National Drugs Mission Plan (2022–2026), which emphasizes reducing drug-related deaths through improved data collection and harm reduction strategies.
NatureScot is committed to reversing the decline in freshwater biodiversity by protecting and improving ecosystem health in protected areas. This effort aligns with Scotland’s goal to safeguard 30% of its land and sea by 2030. This project makes recommendations on a monitoring framework that would inform management decisions to deliver healthy ecosystems. To achieve this, monitoring efforts must shift toward a broader landscape or catchment-scale approach, providing a more comprehensive understanding of freshwater and wetland ecosystems.