Climate Change - impacts on people

Tackling climate change is essential if Scotland is to achieve sustainable economic growth. The planning system has a key role in helping to mitigate the causes of climate change and to adapt to its impacts. Climate change can result in rising sea levels, local flooding events and higher heatwave temperatures and these can damage houses, bridges, roads and railways. To help tackle climate change, planners and developers need to make the right choices now.

Climate change will have significant implications for people's interactions with nature. Woodlands, for example, take decades to grow and we need to think what sort of planting and management now will provide the green spaces  of the future as a basis for sustainable growth and making places where people can lead healthy lives.

SNH is carrying out research into the possible implications of climate change on Scottish landscapes  and their contribution to quality of life.

SNH has also published some new research into the impacts of extreme weather events  on our operations, properties and National Nature Reserves to help us to develop a better informed response to further climate change.