Community resilience to water-based risks: An analysis of the perceptions and actions of remote coastal communities

Scotland is facing multiple water-related pressures, such as fluvial, pluvial and
coastal flooding, coastal erosion, water scarcity and water pollution. All of these
pressures risk being exacerbated by the predicted impacts of climate change
such as increased average temperatures, drier summers, milder, wetter, winters
and more extreme weather events. These direct impacts are also likely to result
in broader impacts such as limitations on food production, restrictions on
development, such as house-building, challenges to business and a healthy
economy, and resulting population shifts. Furthermore, certain risks, such as
water scarcity, rarely feature as a concern for many within what has traditionally
been considered a ‘water rich’ country. Remote coastal communities are
particularly vulnerable due to their exposure to both land-based (pluvial, fluvial
flooding, pollution) and sea-based (coastal flooding, coastal erosion) pressures.
Action to deal with localised issues, especially in rural communities, often comes
from within those communities, sometimes utilising support from wider agencies.
There is a wealth of social capital within Scotland’s remote and island
communities but there are limitations in terms of time, resources, ability to act
and the need to prioritise issues addressed. This study set out to:
i)
ii)
determine what perceptions exist in terms of water-related risks to
remote coastal communities, for residents and other stakeholders
examine examples of what some communities are already doing to
address these risks (including examples of success and barriers to
achievement).