Scotland is likely to face an increase in the risk of extreme droughts over the next two decades as a result of climate change.
Leading research published by NatureScot shows that the number of extreme drought events across the country could increase from an average of one every 20 years to one every 3 years.
As well as becoming more common, droughts could potentially last 2-3 months longer than in the past.
The research highlights the likelihood of substantial geographic variation in patterns of extreme drought risk, including identifying “hotspot” areas in the Borders, Aberdeenshire, Caithness, Orkney and Shetland.
The results indicate that while the west coast will remain wetter than the east, both areas are likely to experience increases in extreme droughts, with different implications for different areas based on habitat types and land use.
Extreme drought events can have wide-ranging impacts, including on water-dependent sectors such as agriculture, forestry and whisky production.
Many of our most precious habitats and species are also highly sensitive to changes in hydrology; for example, many wetland ecosystems are adapted to continual or frequent high water levels. Changes to these levels can reduce wetlands’ important role in the landscape, including filtering nutrients, absorbing carbon and slowing the flow of water.
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Posted On: 02/02/2021