Current status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to adopting approaches used in Wales to apply Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) mapping to wildfire prevention and planning, and whether it will consider developing a comprehensive LiDAR-based wildfire risk map for Scotland.
The Scottish Government is currently exploring the use of LiDAR for wildfire risk mapping via a fellowship with the University of Edinburgh and via research commissioned as part of the Scottish Government’s ENRA research programme. Outputs from this research will be used to inform next steps in using LiDAR data and developing LiDAR data products, including the potential for a wildfire risk map for Scotland. The next ENRA research programme is currently being commissioned which includes questions on improving understanding on the wildfire risks associated with different land uses.
The Scottish Government engages with the Welsh Government on wildfire response and policy.