Chamber and committees

Flooding is our biggest climate adaptation challenge, and we know it will become more frequent and severe in the decades ahead so we need to do all we can to be prepared. The Scottish Government set out a long term vision for a flood-resilient Scotland through to 2045 in our National Flood Resilience Strategy. With a focus on people, places and processes it sets out a number of priority areas and actions to support homeowners, communities and businesses in Scotland. In relation to helping homeowners keep their properties safe further actions being undertaken are:

• The Scottish Government allocating £570 million to local authorities since 2016 to support flood protection schemes and wider flood resilience, protecting individuals and communities at risk of flooding. £42 million will continue to be provided through the general capital grant in FY 2026-27.
• Research is underway to consider actions to mitigate the negative mental health and broader wellbeing impacts of flooding.
• Households can develop their own flood plans and research is underway which is examining whether these plans can help strengthen community awareness and promote actions, including the installation of Property Flood Resilience measures.
• As part of the implementation of the National Flood Resilience Strategy a dedicated group, the Property Flood Resilience Delivery Group, is developing actions on Property Flood Resilience to further support delivery across Scotland.
• The Scottish Government provides funding to the Scottish Flood Forum, which enables them to provide support and advice to individuals and communities before, during and after flood events. The Scottish Flood Forum also has a flood bus which showcases Property Flood Resilience measures to communities.
• Building Standards have been updated to provide more advice and information to designers on property flood resilience. The updated Technical Handbooks that include section 3.3 ‘Flooding and groundwater’ will be applicable from 6 April 2026.
• The Scottish Government continues to work in co-operation with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations to ensure flood insurance remains widely available and affordable. Flood Re is a flood re-insurance scheme, which was launched in 2016 to help households at high risk of flooding. This now benefits more than 9,000 properties in Scotland.
• SEPA’s Scottish Flood Forecasting and Warning Services ensures flood forecasting and warning information is made available to the public and emergency responders throughout Scotland.