NATIONAL consultation on a strategy seeking to build on community flood resilience has been launched at an Alva event this week.

Màiri McAllan, cabinet secretary for net zero and energy, was in Alva on Monday, May 20, to launch consultation on a proposed National Flood Resilience strategy.

Views are being sought on building community flood resilience and engaging a broader range of delivery partners to implement more diverse flood management actions faster.

Actions to complement existing and planned flood protection measures could include more natural flood management through the likes of tree planting and the use of natural landforms to slow run-off and capture water.

There could be a greater use of blue-green infrastructure such as urban green spaces and ponds to reduce to amount of water flowing into drains.

Actions could also include improved community resilience, such as through the funding and training of local flood groups to help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from flooding events.

Towns and villages in the Hillfoots are already supported by groups of volunteers, such as Alva Community Resilience Team who seek to alert, advise and aid the community in flood related events.

Launching the consultation in Alva, Màiri McAllan said: “Flooding is Scotland’s biggest climate adaptation challenge.

“As we have sadly seen recently, it can have a devastating impact on communities and people - as well as the direct impacts to flooded homes and business, it can disrupt lives, livelihoods and affect physical and mental health long after the waters have receded.

“Climate change means extreme weather events like floods will become more frequent, which is why we’re investing £42 million each year and an additional £150 million during this parliament on measures to reduce the impacts of flooding.”

At the same time, there is a need to learn to adapt towns and villages to flooding, the cabinet secretary explained.

This includes a move away from thinking flood risks can be eradicated to a position where society works together to create flood resilience.

The cabinet secretary added: “We want to hear people’s views on how we can reduce our exposure to flooding and lessen the impact when it does happen – and we want to involve a much broader range of people and organisations in doing so.

“I urge anyone with an interest to respond to our consultation to make Scotland as flood resilient as possible for generations to come.”

Proposals to complement flood protection measures sit alongside wider work to adapt Scotland to the threat of climate change, including the third National Adaptation Plan, which is due to be published this autumn.

Visit gov.scot/publications/flood-resilience-strategy-consultation/ to respond to the consultation.