Watching BBC 24 last night, up popped a story suggesting that Scotland had similar worries to Florida. I had to the check the date wasn’t 1 April. Then Liz Lloyd (background booing) popped up to talk vaguely about the notion. I had to the check the date wasn’t 1 April. When did she become a spokesperson for the Scot Gov?
You won’t be surprised to hear that I was more exercised by those numbers suggesting Scotland clearly has more to worry about storms and floods than rUK and is thus spending more on them. I’ll come back to that below.
First, though, is this why BBC 24 made the connection?
THE BBC has apologised for its weather app and website incorrectly forecasting “hurricane force winds” to hit the UK – including parts of Scotland …
Anyhow, back to those numbers, put your 11 year-old maths hat on.
The rest of the UK has 11 times the population of Scotland so 11 times that £150 – 1 650? The rUK is pending overall around 8 times as much, per head, on climate disaster prevention.
Ah, some might say, rUK must be 8 times as big an area?
Nope, Scotland is 33% of the land area of the UK, one third. So, rUK spends 8 times as much per head on climate disaster prevention yet is only 3 times as large.
Why might that be? Why in windier, chilly Jockoland, are we spending far less?
A long-standing commitment to better building regulations such as not building on flood plains, drainage systems that have been built to deal with flooding, SNP investment in flood defences……..
Finally, why is rUK, especially England, having to spend far more?
Two figures:
From SEPA, in 2024 –
In Scotland, one in 22 homes and one in 13 businesses are at risk of flooding from rivers.
From Reach and Rescue in 2024 –
One in six homes in England is at risk of flooding
https://reachandrescue.com/flood-statistics/
It’s 10th October.
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Thought Scotland was going to rise up. The flooding would along the coast of England and London beside the Thames.
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Yes, but might take a while.
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There are geological reasons why England has to pay more attention to flood risk than Scotland does. Geologically Scotland is distinct from England and the rest of the island of Great Britain. Scotland is part of the North American Laurentian plate, while England is part of the Eurasian one. Plate tectonics and continental drift brought Scotland into collodion with England millions of years ago.
England was once connected to the rest of Europe in relatively recent geological times before the North Sea developed. Many of the rivers of the north European plain formerly continued across what became the North Sea and across what is now England. Recent geological changes which separated England from Europe also changed the courses of rivers and some actually drain towards inland areas of England making these areas prone to flooding. Human activity, such as in the Somerset Levels and Norfolk Broads, raised some places a little above the ambient sea level, but, without continual drainage works such areas are prone to flood.
However, market economics and hostility to public investment which does not profit the wealthy and ‘slashing of red tape’ has led to flood defences and pumping systems being neglected and allowed building on flood plains. If the flood plain is concreted over, the water still has to go somewhere and so towns and villages become flooded and usually placid streams become temporarily torrential.
This why so much needs to be spent in England compared to Scotland where the geology and physical geography is different and far less has been reclaimed from marsh lands. There is a few places where flooding occurs naturally such as along Tay, Forth and Clyde. These rivers have natural flood plains. However, the capitalists need their profits. Perth City became subject to flooding because of housing on the Tay flood plain. Industrialisation along the Clyde caused flooding in times of heavy rainfall. However, lessons have been learned and flood defences put in place. Dumfries, along the Nith, in the White Sands area is still prone to flooding largely due to human action. This is an area which is staunchly Tory.
Alasdair Macdonald.
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one in 22 homes and one in 13 businesses are at risk of flooding from rivers.
is that why SEPA routinely block maintenance on rivers and burns, they’re daft policies are creating the problem.
Look at the spending in Angus,
£16mill on a flood prevention scheme in Brechin that failed in less than 10 years.
£12mill on a scheme for a burn in Arbroath.
SEPA are doing a good job alright, in making the ScotsGov look incompetent.
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sepa does a good job of keeping the farmers in line , its farmers causing the problems a montrose refers to not sepa
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Aye, the 200 v 150/hd comparison by the BBC on “climate disasters” is deliberately framed to hide England’s increasing climate problems under the rUK cloak, and blame ‘the other guy”….
I’ve little doubt the vast bulk of that 10 billion rUK spend is on England whilst Scotland requires 1 billion, which isn’t too good a headline….
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