New research from Glasgow Caledonian University reveals that Scotland’s well-intentioned flood policies are failing to protect communities effectively.
The study, published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, calls for immediate action to help communities prepare for worsening floods and address persistent climate inequalities.
Using real-world examples from two Scottish communities, the researchers highlighted serious challenges in how local residents and institutions work together to manage flood risks. Despite Scotland’s progressive policies promoting fairness and shared responsibility, the study found that unclear roles, lack of funding, outdated practices and poor communication are undermining efforts to protect communities.
Dr Fiona Henderson, lead author and Senior Research Fellow at Glasgow Caledonian University said:
“Scotland’s flood policies are well-meaning but not working as intended. Communities face a lack of real support from institutions, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to flood risk as our climate changes.”
The study identifies key issues holding back effective flood management, including ambiguous responsibilities that allow institutions to avoid accountability, outdated practices that fail to adapt to community needs, and blame-shifting that places the burden on residents rather than addressing systemic problems. The researchers also found that flood-related inequalities affect all communities, regardless of wealth. Both affluent and disadvantaged areas face similar institutional barriers, highlighting the need for policies that work in practice, not just in principle.
The researchers are calling for systemic reforms to improve how flood policies are implemented. These include streamlining collaboration between organisations, clearly defining roles and responsibilities to prevent blame-shifting, strengthening communication to provide consistent and clear messaging to residents, and empowering communities to have a meaningful voice in decision-making.
“Flood resilience depends on collaboration between communities and institutions,” Dr Henderson added. “The Scottish Government’s new Flood Resilience Strategy has incorporated some of our earlier recommendations, including the creation of a new Flood Advisory Service to support communities and co-ordinate preparedness. However, until local authorities and other key institutions receive adequate funding to support both proactive and reactive community climate-change engagement actions, communities will continue to remain under-prepared for the worsening impacts of climate change.”
The study highlights the importance of transformative governance, where institutions learn and adapt to meet the challenges of climate change. The researchers warn that, without urgent action, Scotland’s communities, and others around the world, will remain vulnerable to future floods.
Dr Henderson concluded:
“This study offers a vital lesson: progressive policies are not enough. They must be backed by action, sufficient funding, accountability, and meaningful collaboration.”