Water Environment Fund
Section 1 - Scoping
Water Environment Fund Programme of Works
22/05/2024
Alice Tree
Rachel Harding Hill in her role as WEF information asset owner
Islands community impact is not relevant, as there are no sites eligible for WEF funding on the islands. We target the funding to address downgrades to the water environment caused by morphology or historic fish barriers, identified within the River Basin Management Plan. There are no locations identified in the RBMP on islands, at the point of writing.
Section 2 - Screening
Scotland’s water environment is one of our most important national assets. It contributes to the health and well-being of our country; supports a rich diversity of wildlife; and provides for the sustainable growth of our economy. Scotland is renowned worldwide for the quality of its rivers, lochs, wetlands and seas.
The natural environment attracts millions of visitors every year and supports our exports of high-quality produce. Maintaining this resource is vital to Scotland’s continued success and it is critical that we manage the water environment to ensure that the needs of society, economy and wildlife can be met and maintained for future generations.
The climate emergency means we are facing more frequent and damaging floods, higher temperatures and droughts. Healthy, natural systems can remove carbon from the atmosphere and help protect people and wildlife from the worst effects of climate change.
These actions will ensure that Scotland’s rivers, lochs, estuaries, coastal areas and groundwater can continue to supply drinking water; support fisheries; offer an essential resource for business and agriculture and serve as a source of recreation that promotes health and wellbeing. One of the ways SEPA implements these actions is the Water Environment Fund. The Water Environment Fund has two objectives:
- Repairing damaged urban rivers often in deprived areas to enhance the environment for the communities that live there. We are creating attractive and accessible green river corridors within towns and cities that can be used for active travel, recreation, and improving health and wellbeing. We help rivers contain flood waters and create new opportunities for local businesses and sustainable development.
This aim relates to equality and human rights by delivering a high quality urban green space, with a positive socio-economic impact. Consideration is given to locations that have low quality or poor access to greenspace. - Removing and easing barriers to migratory fish helping improve fish stocks. We are increasing the lengths of habitat accessible to native fish species including Atlantic Salmon, helping to improve the resilience of endangered populations.
This aim relates to equality and human rights by increasing angling opportunities for migratory fish.
SEPA’s Equality Outcomes 2022-2026
- Outcome 1 – We have increased the number of people from currently underrepresented groups in our applicants, our staff and those who progress within the organisation.
- Outcome 2 – People with lived experience of inequality, related to a protected characteristic or socioeconomic status, access and use SEPA’s services without barriers.
- Outcome 3 – Staff with lived experience of inequality and barriers, and with a wide variety of needs, feel listened to and respected as SEPA meets those needs.
- Outcome 4 – We have decreased our gender pay gap and occupational segregation related to gender, disability, and ethnicity.
The objective of the fund relates to the delivery of SEPA equalities outcome 2.
We provide high quality greenspace often with accessible active travel routes, which can contribute towards reducing inequality. Water Environment Fund projects also look to increase the available accessible habitat for migratory fish creating new opportunities for angling, tourism and recreation, bringing economic benefits and recreational opportunities to river communities.
Yes, the fund delivers projects at locations across Scotland. This is a continuation of the fund which has been operating for the previous decade and is tied to delivery of objectives within the 3rd River Basin Management Plan for Scotland.
The programme of works consists of project at around 40 locations, at the time of writing. Specific locations of the projects depend on the objectives identified through the River Basin Management Plan and in some cases where we have willing delivery partners and match funding available.
Primarily those impacted are the local communities adjacent to projects. Engagement work is project specific, with most projects taking a minimum of 3 years to develop. Throughout the development the local community are engaged in project specific ways. This will include formal consultation such as through the Local Authority planning process but can also include informal consultation which will align with ongoing activities in the local community and institutions such as schools.
The Water Environment Fund Programme of Works and knowledge of mechanisms of project delivery.
Water environment fund | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Environment and Climate | Scottish Human Rights Commission
The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on public bodies to prevent discrimination in all aspects of service provision. It provides a clear and positive legal duty to eliminate discrimination and to ensure equality of opportunity and good relations between different groups.
Amongst your group of stakeholders are there any people who belong to the protected characteristic groups listed below who may be impacted, either positively or negatively, or do you believe there is a neutral impact?
Consider the three needs of the general duty for each Protected Characteristic in turn.
Table 1 - Public Sector Equality Duty - Screening tool
|
Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited under the Equality Act |
Advance equal opportunities between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not |
Foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not |
|
| Age | Neutral | Positive | Positive |
| Disability | Negative | Positive | Positive |
| Gender reassignment | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Marriage / Civil partnership | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Pregnancy / Maternity | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Race | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Religion / Belief | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Sex | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Sexual orientation | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
2.7
Will the policy or practice engage or restrict a right or freedom under the Convention?
If you answer 'Yes' for any of them, go to Section 3.
Human Rights human lives a guide for public authorities.
Table 2 - Human Rights consideration
|
Human Rights Act Article |
Yes |
No |
| Article 2: Right to life | X | |
| Article 3: Prohibition of torture | X | |
| Article 4: Prohibition of slavery and forced labour | X | |
| Article 5: Right to liberty and security | X | |
| Article 6: Right to a fair trial | X | |
| Article 7: No punishment without law | X | |
| Article 8: Right to respect for private and family | X | |
| Article 9: Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion | X | |
| Article 10: Freedom of expression | X | |
| Article 11: Freedom of assembly and association | X | |
| Article 12: Right to marry | X | |
| Article 13: Right to an effective remedy | X | |
| Article 14: Prohibition of discrimination | X | |
| Protocol 1, Article 1: Protection of property | X | |
| Protocol 1, Article 2: Right to education | X | |
| Protocol 1, Article 3: Right to free elections | X |
If you answer 'Positive' or 'Neutral' in Table 1 or 'No' in Table 2 for all of the questions you may not need to carry out a full assessment. You should discuss this decision with the senior leader responsible for the work.
Section 3 - Full Assessment
- Eliminate unlawful conduct.
- Advance equality of opportunity.
An integral part of our restoration projects is the greenspace surrounding the river and its link to the communities that live alongside it. We work with partners to deliver projects which benefit local communities such as creation of new active travel paths, installation of resting places, planting of trees and plants for nature and interpretation. Consideration is given to creating a perception of safety within an area by creating lines of sight, and lighting. The projects increase an areas inclusivity for members of our community by creating a space welcoming and suitable for all to meet, exercise and interact with the river and nature.
The Water Environment Fund may have a positive or neutral impact on the following protected characteristics: age, disability, race, Religion/ belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Age
Providing open greenspaces with extra benches so that people can rest while they go on a walk may encourage greater access and use of outdoor spaces for older people.
Adults aged 65 and over are the least likely to visit the outdoors for recreation.
- Adults aged 65 and over were the least likely to visit the outdoors for recreation in 2019, compared to other age groups.
- In 2019, 60% of those aged 16 to 39 and 58% of those aged 40 to 64 visited the outdoors at least once a week, compared with 46% of those aged 65 and over.
- Among the 65 and over age group, 23% did not visit the outdoors at all in the last year.
Source: Scottish Household Survey 2019 (Last updated: September 2020).
Disability
Adults with a long-term illness or disability are less likely to visit the outdoors. Provision of easily accessible high quality local greenspaces with all ability pathways will help address this.
- In 2019, for adults with a long standing illness or disability 43% visited the outdoors for leisure or recreation at least once a week, and 24% did not visit the outdoors at all. For adults with no long standing illness or disability these proportions were, respectively, 62% and 6%.
Source: Scottish Household Survey 2017 (Last updated: September 2018).
Race
Information is not currently available in this section on Visits to the Outdoors relating to ethnicity.
Sex
Men and women equally likely to visit the outdoors.
- In 2019 men were more likely than women to visit the outdoors for recreation at least once a week (58% and 54% respectively).
Source: Scottish Household Survey 2019 (Last updated: September 2020).
Considerations given in the design to creating a perception of safety may increase use by lone users.
Sexual Orientation
Little difference in visits to the outdoors between LGBT and heterosexual people.
- There is no significant difference in the proportion of respondents who identified as gay/lesbian/bisexual/other and the proportion of respondents who identified as heterosexual who visited the outdoors once a week or more. Due to the small number of individuals identifying as gay/lesbian/bisexual/other sexual orientation in the Scottish Household Survey, data for 2016 and 2017 were combined to reach an adequate sample size to test for a statistically significant difference.
Source: Scottish Household Survey 2017 (Last updated: September 2018).
Each individual project will carry out activities that suit the project, these will range from engagement with local communities through public meetings, surveys, and collaboration with local organisations to ensure their input is considered in project development.
Engagement with equality groups, e.g. the Leven project engaged with Sense Scotland and Disabilities Fife (ref Levenmouth Connectivity Project - River Park Routes Equality Impact Assessment Form).
Sense Scotland shared valuable feedback including:
- The need for disabled parking nearby the River Park Routes to allow disabled people to access.
- The need for resting areas (seating/benches) at regular distances.
Inclusion of sensory elements. - The offer of specialist input to ensure graphics and language are accessible.
Disabilities Fife shared valuable feedback including:
- Concerns around shared-use paths as not everyone can hear bells ringing or cyclists coming from behind.
- Design of signage and other materials should consider font size, type, colour, etc., as well as alternative media such as braille.
- The offer to attend a ‘walk and talk’ on site to determine things like distances for rest area.
SEPA are in the process of creating a new public participation and engagement framework which will enhance the way in which SEPA carry out our duties and ensure that we reach a wider audience in our future consultations, focusing on equality and accessibility.
Human rights and a healthy environment are interdependent, all the WEF projects will contribute to a more sustainable water environment for our future.
Some of the WEF projects will deliver wider socioeconomic and equality benefits such as providing accessible active travel routes, which can contribute towards reducing inequality.
Disability
SEPA aims to provide our information in an accessible format, further reasonable adjustments can be made on request.
SEPA will encourage our partner to design scheme which facilitates use and access for all abilities.
Include any further evidence gathering and external engagement that is required to demonstrate that you are giving ‘due regard’ to the equality duty of eliminating discrimination, promoting equality of opportunity, and fostering good relations.
Section 4 - Continuous monitoring and improvement
Option 1: No major change
Your assessment demonstrates that the policy or practice is robust. The evidence shows no potential for:
- Less favourable treatment of particular groups, indirect discrimination, victimisation, harassment, and that you have taken all opportunities to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations; nor
- Restriction of Convention rights or freedoms.
The policy or practice builds in reasonable adjustments where these may be needed. In reaching this conclusion, you should document the reasons why and the evidence used to support your decision.
The Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment is a living document and should be reviewed and updated to ensure you have captured the changes that have been made because of the implementation of your policy or practice. Set a realistic goal for you to check back in with your assessment, to see if things are going the way you expected.
Date for the Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment review.
31/06/2028
Section 5 - Sign off
10/06/2025
Yes