SOME of Scotland’s rivers could become hotspots for water scarcity, according to a new study.
Researchers used flow projections from across the country to model which regions and industries could be affected by droughts between 2020 and 2049.
They considered the impact of climate change on abstraction – water that is licensed to be removed from locations such as rivers and lochs – and found some areas could see droughts becoming much more frequent.
Professor Lindsay Beevers from Heriot-Watt University said: “We wanted to identify existing and emerging drought hotspots in Scotland, where more frequent, longer droughts are likely.
“Our analysis shows that droughts could become two to three times more frequent across much of Scotland.
“Abstraction is vital for our economy. Knowing which areas could face water scarcity means we can plan and adapt to protect our economy and the environment.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here