Event to examine water scarcity impacts on North East farmers

Farmers in North East Scotland are being invited to an online event to discuss future water scarcity predictions in the region and what they could mean for their sector.

The event, being run by The James Hutton Institute at 7pm on February 20, aims to get a better perspective on what future water scarcity will mean for farmers, how they are likely to respond to increasing water scarcity events and any additional support required to increase resilience.

“The frequency of drought events in Scotland is projected to increase from one in every 20 years to one in every three years*, and this could particularly affect the North-East,” says Hutton researcher Kirsty Blackstock.

“Farmers in the North East of Scotland have already noted drought related issues in recent years, as well as struggling with too much water, as is happening just now. Understanding future water scarcity projections and what it will mean for the agricultural sector in the region will be important for increasing resilience.

“We’re interested in learning what support is required to help address water scarcity risks, and what other information would be useful to help inform farm management decisions.”

North East farmers interested in attending the online event can sign up here or contact Kirsty.blackstock@hutton.ac.uk.

The work, funded by the Scottish Government through the Centre of Expertise for Waters, based at the Hutton, is part of a project involving the Hutton, Scotland’s Rural College, the University of Aberdeen and the British Geological Survey. 

Photo from The James Hutton Institute,*Kirkpatrick Baird, F., Stubbs Partridge, J. & Spray, D. 2021. Anticipating and mitigating projected climate-driven increases in extreme drought in Scotland, 2021-2040. NatureScot Research Report No. 1228.

More information from: Elaine Maslin, Media Officer, The James Hutton Institute elaine.maslin@hutton.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)1224 395076 or +44 (0)7977 805808

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog post are the views of the author(s), and not an official position of the institute or funder.