The Scottish Government has published its first ever Land Use Strategy -- identifying water as a key issue.

 Rural Affairs and the Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said that the strategy would help Scotland to get the most out of its 'precious land resources' and maximise the contribution that they can make to a low carbon Scottish economy.

The Assembly said the Strategy will be used to influence land use decision-making now and in the future, helping to ensure that the right decisions are made for the economy, for the environment and for communities.

Mr Lochhead said:

"Scotland's land already provides us with so many benefits but in future there will be even more pressures on the land. As the climate changes we'll face increasing demands for food, water and energy and we have to be prepared. Now that we have this strategy in place we will concentrate on delivery and taking action to meet the needs of 21st century Scotland.

"The strategy will provide the overall framework within which we can manage these different issues and the resulting conflicting demands that we sometimes put on our land. It will allow us to join up the individual policy pieces and create wider and more sustainable benefits as a result of this integrated thinking. And it will provide a context for local processes that actually make sustainable land use a reality.

"The publication of the strategy is an important milestone but is by no means the end of the road. The Government will take the lead but we expect the wider public sector to follow that lead in the way that it manages land, takes decisions or develops policy. We will continue to work with all interested groups to make sure that the strategy pays dividends for us all."

Water a key issue

Water resources and use is one of a number of key issues identified in the strategy, which recommends that where land is highly suitable for a primary use (for example food production, flood management, water catchment management and carbon storage) the value should be recognised in decision-making.

The strategy points out that the consequences of certain land management practices can be significant; for example, where inappropriate application of fertiliser leads to diffuse water pollution and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, land managers may see little of the benefit they provide – for example where hill and mountain ecosystems moderate the water cycle to the benefit of people in lowland areas.

The strategy says that the capacity of land to regulate water supplies is increasingly valued as the climate changes and extreme weather events become more frequent, accompanied by a growing recognition that human interventions have affected flood risk, and that reinstating natural features in the landscape such as flood plains, wetlands and forests can help to restore run-off patterns and reduce flooding.

The Assembly pointed out that the Flood Risk Management Act (2009) puts sustainable approaches at the heart of flood management, signalling a move away from reactive management of flooding towards a proactive and catchment-focused approach.

Nigel Miller, President of NFU Scotland, one of a number of stakeholder groups who contributed to the development of the strategy, commented:

"The Land Use Strategy should have a significant role to play in providing a framework for a host of policy areas that collectively impact on how Scotland's land is used.

"We believe the Land Use Strategy must be developed to map out a smarter approach to prioritising land use, based on new and existing evidence.

"Above all, the Land Use Strategy must enable the array of current policy to deliver more integrated land use by supporting a host of successful land-based businesses."

An information note in support of the strategy has also been published, explaining how decisions which affect land use can take greater account of the health of ecosystems and the services they provide.