Land and Water Resource Management

The Crucial Role of Healthy Soils in Scotland's Economy: Costs and Mitigation Strategies

The Crucial Role of Healthy Soils in Scotland's Economy: Costs and Mitigation Strategies

Healthy soils are the backbone of many sectors within the Scottish economy, playing a vital role in improving crop yields, storing water to mitigate drought and flooding, and regulating water flow to rivers and lochs. However, when these soils are degraded, the impacts, both direct and indirect, can lead to significant costs for individuals, society, and the broader economy.

Assessing the socio-economic impacts of soil degradation on Scotland’s water environment

Scotland’s various policies to protect its soils from degradation create economic benefits. In this project the economic costs of soil degradation in Scotland were estimated. Using the best available data the impacts of soil compaction, sealing and contamination were assessed. The extent of these degradation processes was then used to calculate the costs across Scotland. Compacted soils can cost farmers £15 to £209 per ha in extra fuel use. The annual combined impact on crop yields and fuel use across Scotland is likely to cost between £25 million and £75 million.

Future Predictions of Water Scarcity in Scotland: Impacts to Distilleries and Agricultural Abstractors

Scotland’s climate is changing, and we expect to see further changes in seasonal precipitation patterns that may increase the frequency and severity of water scarcity conditions, including droughts. Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to water scarcity and environmental stress (formally defined in Scotland as when river water levels are less than 5% of their normal flows, for more than 30 days). Overall, droughts are predicted to increase particularly in the eastern parts of Scotland.

Protecting Scotland's Lochs: Addressing the Threat of Algal Blooms

Scotland's lochs have long been cherished for their natural beauty, providing habitats for diverse wildlife and acting as beneficial recreational spaces for locals and tourists alike. However, these iconic water bodies face serious challenges such as climate change and nutrient run-off that threaten their ecological integrity and public health. 

Global temperatures are now approximately 1.5ᵒC higher than pre-industrial levels. Rising air and water temperatures, alongside shifting rainfall patterns, are changing our planet’s ecosystem.

Your Planet Your Future

Your Planet Your Future

Sowing Seeds for the Next generation    Careers for People and the Environment

Posted on behalf of Rachel Helliwell and Lorna Dawson

CRW2023_15 Review of monitoring approaches to deliver healthy ecosystems for Scotland’s protected fresh waters and wetlands

Wetlands_open_water_photograph_courtesy of Sarah Haliday

Tags

 

NatureScot is committed to reversing the decline in freshwater biodiversity by protecting and improving ecosystem health in protected areas. This effort aligns with Scotland’s goal to safeguard 30% of its land and sea by 2030. This project makes recommendations on a monitoring framework that would inform management decisions to deliver healthy ecosystems. To achieve this, monitoring efforts must shift toward a broader landscape or catchment-scale approach, providing a more comprehensive understanding of freshwater and wetland ecosystems.

Subscribe to Land and Water Resource Management