What is water scarcity?
Water scarcity is when there is not enough water, of sufficient quality, to meet the demands of humans and ecology. It occurs when the balance between supply and demand gets disrupted. A reduction in water supply, due to long periods of dry weather, can mean there’s not enough water to meet water needs in an area.
It's always raining in Scotland, don't we have plenty of water?
The Scottish word, driech, is often used to describe Scotland’s dull, damp weather. Scotland is a water-rich country, especially compared to other parts of the world. You’d expect we’d have plenty of water to support our way of life. However, both our ecosystems and economic activity has built up around water being plentiful. When we have climate extremes, and water scarcity occurs, the impacts can be huge: ecosystems can suffer, farmers face challenges in maintaining crop yields, industrial operations and production can be disrupted, and private water supplies can run dry.
Will climate change impact water scarcity?
Scotland’s climate is changing and businesses are experiencing the impacts of more frequent extreme weather events like water scarcity. UK climate projections indicate that Scotland will likely have hotter, drier summers. This will increase how severe droughts are and often droughts occur. Summers, such as 2018, which led to significant impacts on ecology, agriculture and industry in Scotland, are projected to become more frequent.
Find out more about water scarcity and climate change in Scotland.
What is SEPA's role in water scarcity?
SEPA’s key role is to protect the water environment. SEPA authorises water abstraction from our rivers, lochs and groundwater in a way that protects the flows and levels required for a healthy water environment. During drier periods, when the water environment comes under pressure, SEPA are required to balance the need for sustainable water use while protecting the environment. One of our key responsibilities is to monitor and report on the water situation across Scotland to inform water users and support key sectors. We issue regular reports, provide advice and guidance, use our regulatory influence to encourage adaptation, and if the risk of water scarcity becomes significant - take regulatory action.
How SEPA manages water resources prior to and during periods of prolonged dry weather is outlined in our National Water Scarcity Plan.
Water scarcity and flooding
Very dry ground can act like concrete, which means rain quickly runs off without soaking in. This increases the risk of surface water flooding, especially if the rain is heavy.
Find out more about water scarcity and flooding.