Scottish Flood Forum

You will be forgiven for mistakenly thinking this was a conference relating to the common cold, swine flu or other inherent seasonal nasties, however SNIFFER stands for … Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum For Environmental Research.

Once again a very informative and professional conference where representatives engaged in environmental issues flooding etc. come together to share best practice and learning from all aspects of the process. The Scottish Flood Forum was invited to share its expertise and experience regarding the development of community flood groups and supporting vulnerable and at risk individuals and areas through resilience training and information. Diversity of common cold leading to diversity of SNIFFER engagement in community support.

Technorati Tags: flood, flooding, flood groups, Scottish Flood Forum, SNIFFER

Visitors to the Flood Warning consultation evening held at the Kilmarnock Rugby Club were faced with a choice of activities, join the players for their training session or take part in the less strenuous activity of sharing ideas for the SEPA flood warning dissemination programme. It was a difficult choice to have to make, but looking at the Kilmarnock Team with their unenviable record this season, I some how knew that I wouldn’t be among their first or last choice to join them at the next fixture. After all as chair of the meeting I felt my loyalty to the discussions was more important.

The evening explained the role of SEPA and emergency responders to flood warnings, before we spent time discussing what would work best in warning people about the risk of flooding. Representatives from both the Local Authority, business community and residents took part and shared their own ideas.

Discussions focused on community support for the vulnerable and what could be done to support them. This highlighted a need that the Scottish Flood Forum was able to assist with.  To develop a Community flood support group, to bring together both the community, local authority and voluntary sector in partnership to provide help in a major incident.

Thanks to the Rugby Club for their support, really sorry I can’t make the next match but good luck anyway.  

Technorati Tags: SEPA, Kilmarnock Rugby Club, Scottish Flood Forum

Last night members of the Flood Group and business community in Hawick met representatives from SEPA to discuss the proposed flood warning programme SEPA plan to develop in 2011. I went along to act as chair. Hawick is unique in having such a strong and well organised Flood Group under the leadership of Councillor Stuart Marshall. They had just taken part in a training exercise (flooding) and found it an enjoyable and valuable experience.

Ideas during the evening ranged from looking at the problems as to why people in flood risk areas are so reluctant to sign up to a warning system to what sort of message and information needs to be communicated. The group were united in their support for the need for a warning system to be made available to the general public.

This meeting is part of a consultation exercise being held over the next few months in flood risk areas. Please let us know if you would like to take part and we will see if we can arrange a meeting for further discussion.

Special thanks to the Salvation Army, Stuart Marshall and Ian Hogarth for making the evening a success. 

Have your say – what do you think can be done to encourage people to ‘sign up’ to a flood warning system? – click the please let us know link for your ideas.

Technorati Tags: Hawick Flood Group, Paul Hendy, Scottish Flood Forum, SEPA

 
Something FREE in Scotland, this is something you won’t want to miss. Places are limited but if you register as soon as possible there may yet be room. The Scottish Flood Forum has worked very closely with SEPA on this event to ensure people get real life practical information they can take back to their place of employment.

Who knows lessons learnt may just save your company from total extinction. I have been responsible for securing many of the speakers for the conference and all of them have developed practical programmes and systems to ensure recovery and businesses continuity is a prime focus. Most of this information has never been made available to the public sector before.

I have seen first hand the impact of flooding on businesses, and have personally shared in supporting employers and employees to cope with the trauma of recovery. I have spoken to Directors who refused to let their competitors know they were flooded so as to maintain trading advantage. That meant in one instance moving the whole admin department upstairs to a small box room for 5 months, other staff were laid off for 3 months, data was irretrievably lost, and it could happen to you.

Our speakers have been chosen for the right mix of developing and delivering continuity plans into practical action.  It worked for them it may just work for you.

Other speakers join us from the rural communities. With representatives from Emergency planning, Environmental Health, and Insurance sectors.

For bookings – e-mail jean.atkinson@sepa.org.uk 

For more information – e-mail Michelle.stone@sepa.org.uk

Speaker details will be on this site next week.

Technorati Tags: SEPA, Scottish Flood Forum

Haggis hunting was far from our thoughts despite the snow storm we had just driven through to get to the WWF sustainable flood management project. Situated in the middle of nowhere (well north of Yetts of Muckhart), and despite the weather, our guide for the afternoon Mike Donaghy shared with us all the realities and challenges of sustainable flood management.

Viewing this project from above (we were halfway up a hill) enabled us to grasp the simplicity and effectiveness of this type of flood control. I left quite challenged from the value of this methodology.

I am grateful to the Freuchie Flood Group who arranged the excursion. Perhaps a larger supply of drinking chocolate should have been in the hip flasks – at least that was what I was assured was in them!!!

The lady in the red coat to the right of the photo is Amanda Davis from the National Flood Forum our parent organisation on a day visit to Scotland, after an excursion like this I suspect she will choose warmer weather for her next trip north.

Technorati Tags: WWF, Freuchie Flood Group, Scottish Flood Forum, National Flood Forum

While summing up the Stage 1 debate for the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Bill on the 22nd January 2009,  Mike Russell MSP, Minister of the Environment said the funding formula was negotiated and agreed with COSLA. He said that schemes in process, scheme planned and properties at risk was the criteria used to work out the formula, and this could be developed or changed. He said that the Scottish Government was open to discussion regarding schemes that had changed in nature. He said that the support provided by the Scottish Flood Forum could help those affected by flooding. He confirmed that emergency response was not included in the Bill. He said that there were more skills than simply hydrology.

We really must thank the Minister for his kind comments and recognise that without the Scottish Government’s support and funding this service would not be available to the many flood risk areas throughout Scotland.

Freuchie Flood Action Group also has an interesting blog post about this debate, along with useful additional resources.

Technorati Tags: Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Bill, Freuchie Flood Action Group, Mike Russell, Scottish Flood Forum