Flood Risk Management

Flooding can devastate communities. Sniffer helps to spread good practice that keep people safe.

Why flood risk management matters

Flooding is a frequent natural hazard in Scotland which, if poorly managed, can have dreadful impacts on people, businesses, and our natural and built environments. At present, 108,000 properties across Scotland are at some risk of flooding, and current estimates suggest Scotland could suffer approximately £250 million of flood-related damages annually. In the future, changes in our climate, how we use our land and how we live have the potential to bring more people and property into flood risk.

What is the solution?

Flooding is a complex challenge, with many influencing factors, but the risks are manageable if we work together. Building on this belief in collaboration, for over ten years Sniffer has supported a range of research and events to promote the effectiveness of a co-operative approach to flood risk management. In 2009 the Scottish Government introduced a new Flood Risk Management Act, emphasising the key role such collaborative actions and partnership working has on protecting people and places from flooding. This was followed in 2015 by SEPA’s publication of 14 Local Flood Risk Management Strategies, covering the whole of Scotland, and in 2016 by a set of Local Flood Risk Management Plans aiming to put these strategies into practice. These plans help to target resources in the areas where they can best protect people, businesses and critical services.

How Sniffer helps to reduce flood risk

Sniffer provides a range of services to the Scottish FRM Community to help encourage and deliver a holistic approach to Flood Risk Management. Chief among these is our annual Flood Risk Management Conference, which Sniffer has run for twelve successive years. The conference is the premier event in the Scottish Flood Risk Management calendar and regularly attracts more than 250 delegates. You can read more about how our approach has helped the conference to become one of the top policy and practice forums in the country in this case study.

Sniffer was delighted to support the Interreg Building with Nature coordination meeting in Dundee in September 2018. In 2019 additionally to planning next year's annual conference Sniffer is organising a series of knowledge exchange workshops:

Latest

Ruth Wolstenholme, Managing Director

Ruth is a passionate facilitator with a keen ear for a good idea. She has been involved in Sniffer from the start and enjoys working for a small company that brings people with different perspectives together to find creative approaches to ensuring a more sustainable and fair society .
Anna Beswick, Business Manager

Anna manages the Adaptation Scotland and TalX programmes. She nurtures relationships and networks so they can develop their own ideas and solutions. If it’s never been done before she will have a go and won’t take no for an answer.
Kit England, Business Manager

Kit manages the Climate Ready Clyde initiative. He knows everybody, which is really handy when you work on partnerships. He connects public sector, organisations and businesses to work together on strategic planning, focusing right now on Glasgow City Region.
Janet Forgan, Finance Manager

Janet is a qualified Chartered Accountant and member of the ICAEW, having gained her qualification with Deloitte in 2000. Her career experience extends from senior finance roles within a large scale multinational to a Board level role managing the finance functions of a global group of small to medium sized businesses. She enjoys using her financial and commercial acumen to help Sniffer achieve its goals.

FRM knowledge exchange workshops

Sniffer runs workshops throughout the year on aspects of Flood Risk Management.
Community resilience and climate justice

Sniffer has been working with a number of organisations involved in research and practice, to draw together some key learning points in relation to community resilience in the context of climate change- we have developed a short summary note and welcome feedback.
Sustainable Scotland Network

Sniffer is working together with the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI) to provide the secretariat service to the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) – Scotland’s largest network of public sector sustainability professionals.
Adaptation Scotland

Sniffer is helping Scotland get ready for the impacts of climate change by raising awareness of climate risks and opportunities, and creating catalysts for collaborative action through the Adaptation Scotland Programme.
Climate Ready Clyde

Sniffer is helping to increase the Glasgow City Region's resilience to climate impacts through the Climate Ready Clyde initiative. By bringing together key organisations to work in partnership on climate change adaptation, we are ensuring Scotland's biggest population centre is prepared for the challenges of future climate.
Traction

Sniffer is working together with IIED to understand what constitutes climate adaptation competence and how this affects adaptation responses. Traction will explore and capture learning from adaptation progress in different countries, including: • What drives adaptation that has positive and just impacts across society? • What factors can accelerate adaptation? • What are the barriers to convening domestic adaptation competency?
Flood Risk Management Conference 2018

The 2018 conference was held at the Strathclyde Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow from 5-6 February. A full conference summary report and all the presentations from the conference are now available to download. Thank to all those who contributed and attended for making another successful year.
Flood Risk Management Conference 2017

Sniffer’s annual Flood Risk Management conference returned to Our Dynamic Earth in February 2017 for its twelfth year. You can download the presentations from the conference and read the summary report here.
Improving our air quality

Sniffer is helping to improve air quality in Scotland by bringing together experts and decision makers to drive forward co-ordinated action.
Improving water quality in Strathclyde Loch

Strathclyde Country Park and its loch were chosen as the venue for the triathlon events at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. In the past, poor water quality had led to sporting events being cancelled. In February 2012 Sniffer was tasked with improving water quality in the loch to ensure plain sailing come the Games.

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Flood Risk Management Conference 2018

The 2018 conference was held at the Strathclyde Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow from 5-6 February. A full conference summary report and all the presentations from the conference are now available to download. Thank to all those who contributed and attended for making another successful year.
Climate Ready Clyde

Sniffer is helping to increase the Glasgow City Region's resilience to climate impacts through the Climate Ready Clyde initiative. By bringing together key organisations to work in partnership on climate change adaptation, we are ensuring Scotland's biggest population centre is prepared for the challenges of future climate.
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Sniffer creates change processes based on engagement, dialogue and collaborations.
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Sustainable Scotland Network

Sniffer is working together with the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI) to provide the secretariat service to the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) – Scotland’s largest network of public sector sustainability professionals.
Board of Trustees

Our Board of Trustees is responsible for governance and strategy.
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A sustainable society is a strong, healthy and just society living within environmental limits. It is a society that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Adaptation Scotland

Sniffer is helping Scotland get ready for the impacts of climate change by raising awareness of climate risks and opportunities, and creating catalysts for collaborative action through the Adaptation Scotland Programme.