MORE than 20 organisations are formally joining forces to protect Scotland’s critical infrastructure from weather and climate-related impacts.
The ‘Climate Ready Infrastructure Scotland Forum’ was co-founded by Network Rail, Scottish Water, and SP Energy Networks.
The group has signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to work closer together to build resilience against the growing impacts of climate change on Scotland’s infrastructure.
Climate projections confirm Scotland’s ten warmest years on record have all occurred since 1997, the hottest being 2022. An average of 10% more rain is being seen than between the 1960s-90s, with winters 29% wetter. The rate of sea level rise has also increased over the last 30 years, rising by approximately 18.5cm from the start of the 20th century.
All of this poses a risk to Scotland’s infrastructure. More frequent and severe flooding for example can overwhelm drainage systems, damage roads, railways and bridges and impact the integrity of buildings.
Membership of the forum is open to any infrastructure operator or owner, public and private, in Scotland. Current members include Transport Scotland, Network Rail, Scottish Water, Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Canals, and Sustrans.
Significant connections are also being established with a broader range of organisations, whose support will be crucial. These additional members include the Met Office, regional transport partnerships, and Scotland’s academic institutions.
Together, they’ll share best practice and advice on undertaking climate risk assessments, work to better understand the climate-related risk interdependencies that exist between infrastructure systems in Scotland, share data and insight essential to ‘climate ready’ decision making, and deliver interventions aligned with Scottish Government’s national adaptation plan. The forum has a longer-term aim of co-developing on-the-ground adaptation interventions in areas of shared climate-risk.
Scottish Government cabinet secretary for transport Fiona Hyslop said, “The challenge posed by climate change to our transport network is growing, with the threat of serious flooding and severe winds now an issue throughout the year. The impacts can range from landslides and damage to our roads and bridges, to causing challenging driving conditions for motorists on a more regular basis.
“The road and rail networks are vital parts of infrastructure that help keep Scotland moving, so it’s essential that we use all the tools and knowledge available to us to safeguard them as best we can in the face of our changing climate. I very much welcome the efforts of all the organisations who’ve signed up to this agreement to help protect Scotland’s vital infrastructure network.”
David Harkin, weather resilience and climate change adaptation strategy manager for Network Rail Scotland, added, “The services provided by the organisations joining this partnership form the backbone of our daily lives in Scotland, and we share many of the same challenges that the changing climate brings. That is why organising into coordinated action is an important step forward.
“The significance of this opportunity is reflected in the number of organisations formally backing the Forum, which is incredibly encouraging. A united front is essential for driving the systemic changes needed to protect our infrastructure for the future. Together, we can achieve more than we ever could alone.”
Mark Williams, head of sustainability for Scottish Water, said, “Delivering effective climate change adaptation for Scotland’s communities demands effective partnership working. We rely on a range of infrastructure – power, transport, communications and land – to deliver our services. It is important we have a shared view of the risks posed by future climates, explain what this means to customers, what we are doing about it, and where we can work together across our organisations to deliver cost-effective adaptation and support resilient services for Scotland.”
