Motions, questions and answers

Natural flood management measures reduce, slow or otherwise manage flood waters across catchments and along the coast; they include salt marsh creation, wetland restoration, floodplain reconnection and woodland planting.
The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 recognises the important role of natural flood management and promotes and encourages the use of natural flood management techniques.
Natural flood management aims to reduce, but not necessarily replace, the need for traditional engineering, and is often used as part of a blended approach where natural flood management techniques are used alongside traditional engineering as part of a whole catchment approach.
The Scottish Government supports local authorities to take action to reduce the impacts of flooding through the flooding component of the general capital grant (currently £42m pa). 20% of this (£8.2m pa) is available for actions such as natural flood management. We have also increased the overall flooding budget by 70% from £210 to £360 million in the next 5 years. The distribution of this additional funding is currently under discussion with local authorities.
The Scottish Government is supporting the long term Eddleston Water research project which is developing an evidence base to improve our understanding of natural flood management . It shows that natural flood management can delay flood peaks, deliver multiple benefits and help mitigate climate change impacts.
We also recognise the important role natural features play in protecting the coastline from erosion and sea level rise. The Scottish Government funded Dynamic Coast 2 project helps us to identify where the greatest risks from coastal change erosion and sea level rise are, this decade and into the future. Output from this project indicates that natural coastal defences protect £14.5bn of assets.
Based on these research results we are taking an adaptive planning approach to building resilience to coastal change. We have introduced a new capital budget for £12m over 4 years for coastal change adaptation which will be available from 2022-23. Guidance on how to produce Coastal Change Adaptation Plans is also being developed to help local authorities.