Flood-hit Scots are being let down by chaotic responses from councils and water bosses, a new study has warned. Poor communication and buck-passing are rife among the public institutions who are supposed to tackle flooding in local communities, academics found.
The report, by Glasgow Caledonian University, said the result was locals left “under-prepared” for deluges – and frustrated by slow and haphazard responses from the authorities. Researchers warned attempts to create “progressive” flood policies in Scotland were falling short in practice and risked worsening inequalities and weakening community defences.
The study highlighted two examples of neighbourhoods in Renfrewshire and Glasgow left vulnerable to flooding by institutional failings. In Gallowhill, Paisley – one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Scotland – one street, Cluny Drive, has faced being routinely submerged for years by heavy rainfall.
Our sister title the Paisley Daily Express told last year of local resident Betty Johnston’s plight as she frequently was forced to wade through water to get in and out of her house. She said last February: “I just feel as if I’m banging my head against a brick wall,” Betty said. “When I report it to Renfrewshire Council , they’ll say they’ll get someone out to look at it.
“I’ve been on to Scottish Water , who say it’s not really their problem, it’s a drainage problem. The council say it’s actually a sewage problem. It’s as if they’re passing the buck with each other.”
Betty said flooding on the street had been a problem for as long as she could remember, adding: “They need to get together and come up with some sort of plan to get this flooding issue resolved. With climate change now, we’re getting warmer summers and colder winters with adverse weather conditions and I just feel as if this problem is only going to get worse and worse.”
In another example, the study highlighted how the historic Garrowill Bowling Club in Glasgow’s east end has been plagued by flooding issues with heavy rain often leaving their green underwater. In both cases, research found institutions like local councils, Glasgow Life and Scottish Water were slow to respond, communicated poorly and in some cases tried to shift the blame to other organisations.
Dr Fiona Henderson, lead author and Senior Research Fellow at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “Scotland’s flood policies are well-meaning but not working as intended. Communities face a lack of real support from institutions, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to flood risk as our climate changes.”
Calling for “systemic reforms” to how floods are tackled, she added: “The Scottish Government’s new Flood Resilience Strategy has incorporated some of our earlier recommendations, including the creation of a new Flood Advisory Service to support communities and co-ordinate preparedness. However, until local authorities and other key institutions receive adequate funding to support both proactive and reactive community climate-change engagement actions, communities will continue to remain under-prepared for the worsening impacts of climate change.”
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