Scotland’s preparations for climate change 'still too slow and risk major economic damage'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scotland's preparations for climate change are still too slow with the threat of major economic damage from extreme weather rising, a damning report has warned.

The study, by independent experts at the Climate Change Committee, said much more action is required to safeguard the country’s water supply and infrastructure and protect against floods, storms and wildfires.

It found some “promising” developments in areas like the NHS and transport to make Scotland more climate-resilient. But it warned “important gaps remain”, including a need to bolster our defences against both drought and floods - particularly in the wake of Storm Babet which recently battered the northeast.The report said: “This lack of action will put Scotland at increasing risk of damaging cascading impacts across the economy when weather extremes occur in future.”The CCC’s annual findings highlighted how the unprecedented Storm Babet had caused “widespread” flooding leading to “several deaths and hundreds of homes impacted alongside transport and power system disruptions”.It’s estimated the repair bill from the deadly storm could surpass £500million.The CCC also raised increasing summer heat in Scotland, with warm and dry conditions in June leading to significant water scarcity in our lochs and rivers.The report said: “Recent weather extremes highlight the urgency with which the adaptation delivery and planning gaps identified in our report must be addressed.“Both heatwaves and heavy rainfall are being made more intense by climate change in Scotland.“In future, hotter and drier summers are expected, leading to hotter heatwaves, and warmer and wetter winters, alongside rising sea levels, will continue to increase flood risks.“These continued changes in