A public consultation to inform the development of the second River Basin Management Plan for the Scotland River Basin District

Overview

Working together to protect and improve our water environment.

Scotland’s water environment is one of our greatest natural assets providing many ecosystem services which support our health, wellbeing, wildlife and the sustainable growth of our economy.  Our vision is one where the water environment is improved and these essential services preserved and enhanced for the benefit of current and future generations.

River basin management planning is at the heart of sustainable water management, securing widespread improvements in the water environment and in turn supporting Scotland’s priority agendas. Working in partnership with others is essential if we are to realise this ambition, actively seeking opportunities to develop a shared vision and achieve common goals

Our first river basin plans enabled us to develop and trial pioneering approaches to tackling pressures from land management. This catchment-based approach is one which allows the design of complementary solutions while making the best use of our resources and delivering multiple benefits to all those who rely on the water environment for their livelihoods and leisure.  Extending the principles of catchment scale delivery will be a core feature of our vision for an integrated approach to water management.

We can all relate to the impact that severe weather events can have on communities, individuals and businesses across Scotland.  With climate change we have an expectation that such events will become more frequent.  Flooding events have attracted significant public attention over recent years.  We also need to consider the increasing possibility of sustained periods of low rainfall and the potential implications of such events for communities and key sectors like food and drink.  As such, the river basin management plans should be seen as a key component of SEPA’s work with partners to contribute to Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Programme.

We still face significant challenges ahead and recognise we must make significantly increased efforts as we strive to achieve this vision over the course of the next two river basin planning cycles.  But these challenges are ones which also present us with excellent opportunities for exploring synergistic ways of working together.

Over the next few months, we will be working with a wide range of responsible bodies, industries and stakeholder interests to build partnerships to deliver improvements benefitting our shared goals and priorities. Your input to this consultation and contribution to the delivery of the second river basin plan is essential in meeting this challenge.