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Remote coastal communities rally to tackle water challenges
Remote coastal communities in Scotland have been taking action on localised water-related issues to enhance their own resilience. Coastal communities are vulnerable to water-related challenges including land-based flooding, water scarcity and infrastructure decline, but face an additional element of risk due to their proximity to specifically coastal phenomena such as sea level rise, coastal erosion and salt-water intrusion. All of these impacts are being exacerbated by our changing climate: in the coming decades Scotland can expect to see increased average temperatures, drier summers, milder and wetter winters and more extreme weather events.
The interaction between communities and the water environment is an important policy topic for Scottish Government, as demonstrated through recent activities such as the Water, Wastewater and Drainage Policy consultation and the Scotland's first Flood Resilience Strategy which was published in December 2024. Given that water resource management permeates just about every aspect of life, it is critical that we know how communities perceive and respond to water-related challenges, which support mechanisms are working and where additional work is needed.
Over the coming weeks we will be publishing 5 case studies which provide in depth analysis of how different communities have dealt with water challenges (including successes and barriers). The case study locations are Knoydart, Luing, the Isle of Skye, Tiree and Tobermory. The key issues include seasonal water scarcity, poor water quality, mains connectivity, flooding and conflict over water needs. The case studies help to identify examples of good practice, opportunities for social learning and areas of vulnerability for communities. These findings allow focused and reflective policy design for future water challenges, especially through the development of considerations that should be made on a place-based basis, as set out in the Flood Resilience Strategy.
A recent study carried out by SRUC aimed to determine how remote coastal communities are dealing with issues of flooding, water scarcity and ageing infrastructure (e.g. pipes and treatment facilities), to identify examples of good practice and learn what additional support is needed. Case studies in five remote coastal locations were carried out using semi-structured interviews, walking interviews and a policy review, to document actions taken by individuals or small groups and to garner lessons learned from the processes.
The case studies identified that most communities face two or more water-related challenges at the same time (for example, costal erosion and land-based flooding), making management responses complex. Actions taken to reduce risk and enhance resilience include reinforcement of flood protection measures, shoreline restoration, encouragement of community-wide water use efficiencies and collaboration with service providers to inform and expediate planning for infrastructure regeneration and demand / supply modelling.
One of the particularly interesting findings from the study
was that efforts to address water-related risks within remote coastal
communities often stemmed from wider community development motivations. The
need for, and difficulty in achieving, increased housing stock was cited as a
development priority in most of the case studies, but lack of reliable water
supply, or anticipated flood risk meant that planning for new housing has been
very difficult to achieve. Other
community-based motivations included the need to support local economies,
particularly tourism, and managing water provision is central to the running of
many tourism-related businesses.
Awareness-raising of the need for visitor conscientiousness around water
use and environmental / ecological impacts was noted as a key challenge in a
number of locations.
Despite the variety of issues being faced, there was a
recurrence of challenges cited across all of the case studies. These related to difficulty in accessing
appropriate funding, differing opinions around suitable approaches to challenges,
limited awareness or interest in the issues and the reliance of small
communities on key individuals or groups who provide the skills and motivation
to instill change.
Particular challenges exist for small communities in relation to scale. For example, the benefits that can be brought from projects addressing multiple challenges can be very difficult to accommodate within a specific funding stream. Such challenges need to be addressed with policy which reflects the specific needs of Scotland’s diversity of communities. Policy support for these issues could come in the form of flexible funding streams, coordinated and clear communication paths to regional and national organisations and support for the exchange and integration of varied knowledge types in decision-making and localised management.
You can read the full report here - Community Resilience to water-based risks: An analysis of the perceptions and actions of remote coastal communities (Maynard et al, 2024)
Stay tuned for case studies!
Photo credit: Carly Maynard, Isle of Luing looking east