Rivers in Scotland’s west and northwest could be the most sensitive to climate change and should be monitored more closely, according to a new study by scientists at The James Hutton Institute and the University of Aberdeen.
The researchers found that while river temperatures across Scotland will rise, the historically cooler rivers in the west and northwest could be on a trajectory to undergo stronger warming compared to other rivers in the country. This could see them reaching levels similar to already warmer rivers in southern Scotland, with potentially detrimental implications for industry, water quality and wildlife.
“Scotland has more than 125,000 km of rivers and streams and these support huge ecosystems, as well as providing water to supporting industries like whisky production and salmon,” says Eva Loerke, who led the research alongside colleagues from the Hutton and the University of Aberdeen.
“Rising stream and river temperatures have several implications. These include impacts on water quality, which has knock-on impacts on the life in our rivers. Several industries, including distillers, also rely on access to cool water for their operations. By having a better understanding of those rivers that are more at risk, we can do more now to protect them in the future. This could be by increasing tree and vegetation planting around river edges, to keep them cooler, or by installing nature-based solutions, such as log jams, to create cooler refuges.”
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Posted On: 12/03/2024