Regional Coastal Change Adaptation Plan will tackle impact of climate change
As the impacts of climate change continue to reshape our landscape, Aberdeenshire Council has agreed a new Regional Coastal Change Adaptation Plan to help prepare communities for the future of their changing coastlines.
With around 165 miles of coastline, Aberdeenshire is home to busy harbours, award-winning beaches, scenic coastal trails and prime agricultural land.
These assets support the region’s economy, heritage and way of life, however they also face growing risks from sea level rises, erosion and coastal flooding – risks which the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee heard last week are accelerating and no longer a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’.
The newly-approved Regional Coastal Change Adaptation Plan provides a strategic response to these challenges, offering a framework to manage risk, guide sustainable development and support long-term community resilience.
Councillors heard that coastlines have shifted in response to natural forces for centuries, but today climate change is intensifying those forces, especially along stretches of Aberdeenshire’s soft coastline where erosion has already increased.
According to the Dynamic Coast2 project, areas such as Buchan East and south of the Ythan Estuary are among those with the most notable erosion activity, spanning more than five miles of coastline. As part of the Regional CCAP, the council has divided its coastal stretch into 20 community areas, prioritising five locations for local CCAP development:
• Invercairn and Fraserburgh
• Gamrie Bay
• Buchan East
• Blackdog and Balmedie
• Gourdon and Inverbervie
It is intended that each local plan will be shaped in collaboration with communities through public engagement events, ensuring a shared vision for resilience and locally-driven solutions. Subject to future funding and identified prioritised actions in the regional plan, the council is aiming to extend local programmes to all 20 community areas and will continue to embed coastal adaptation across policies, projects and partnerships.
The Regional Coastal Change Adaptation Programme is aligned with national priorities set out in the Scottish National Adaptation Plan – particularly Objective C6 – which focuses on supporting coastal communities. It also supports the Committee on Climate Change’s call for urgent adaptation action from local authorities.
It will also form a key part of evidence for the next Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan, ensuring that new developments are not placed in high-risk areas and that existing infrastructure is managed with future risks in mind including potential relocation.
Cllr Alan Turner, chair of the Infrastructure Services Committee, said: “The science is absolutely clear – sea levels are rising, storms are intensifying and parts of our coastline will retreat. We must adapt our thinking, our development and our future plans to ensure we can live sustainably and safely alongside a changing coast.
"One of the key aspects of our programme is that it must remain flexible to ensure we can react to the impacts of climate change and manage current and future risks effectively. Adaptation is not just about protection of our coastline, it’s also about opportunities and by planning ahead we can reduce future costs, protect our communities and even unlock benefits for nature and our local economies.”
For more information on Aberdeenshire’s Coastal Change Adaptation Programme or to participate in upcoming engagement events, visit: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/coastaladaptation or contact climatechange@aberdeenshire.gov.uk