Sepa's outlines flood warning strategy

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has set out its flood warning strategy up to 2016

Sepa was given new responsibilities under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 as part of a country-wide approach to reduce the risk of flooding in Scotland.

The new strategy covers the first planning cycle set out in the 2009 Act and explains how the regulator will maintain and develop its flood warning service over the next four years.

The strategy has been developed around seven strategic areas:

• flood detection and monitoring, which addresses requirements to support Sepa’s monitoring network (rain and flow gauges, as well as radar);
• surface water flooding;
• coastal/tidal flooding;
• river flooding;
• uncertainty in flood predictions;
• flood warning service development; and
• skills, expertise and knowledge.