The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has launched a new consultation on establishing a framework for partnership working that will ultimately support the production of flood risk management plans and how flooding issues in Scotland are tackled.
The new framework parallels similar efforts in England and Wales in its aim of removing ambiguities about which organisations are responsible for managing flood preparedness, response and management.
The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 (the FRM Act) transposes the EU Directive on the assessment and management of flood risk (the Floods Directive) and introduces a new approach to managing flooding in Scotland. Its overall aim is to reduce the negative effects of all sources of flooding on human health, economic activity, the environment and cultural heritage.
It builds upon the existing functions of public bodies by ensuring that functions are properly co-ordinated and lead to a joined-up and sustainable approach to managing the impact of flooding. The consultation document is part of the early stages of work to implement the FRM Act and represents an important first step towards establishing a framework for partnership working that will ultimately support the production of flood risk management plans in Scotland.
Responses will be used to inform the development of geographical boundaries for local flood risk management plans, partnership structures that support the production of flood risk management plans, and the development of a joint communication strategy.
Proposals in the consultation document were developed in partnership with others, through the Scottish Advisory and Implementation Forum on Flooding (SAIFF). The Scottish Government has established a set of advisory and technical (task and finish) groups under the umbrella of its SAIFF programme. The groups advise on technical implementation issues, such as the development of a methodology to support the production of national flood risk assessment, and national policy issues, such as guidance on the sustainable management of flood risk.
Deadline for responses is 15th October 2010. Visit www.sepa.org/consultations for further information.
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