Weather patterns are changing in Scotland, with drought and wetter periods (with an increasing proportion of our rainfall coming from heavy rainfall events) having significant impact on the agricultural sector.

There is a requirement to become more resilient to climate change to protect and enhance our soil. By ensuring that you are planning and implementing different management techniques and practices, farmers can protect and enhance their land, working with the climate variations. Changing weather patterns can lead to erosion, crop failure, concern over livestock drinking water availability and leaching. By implementing management techniques such as cover crops, alleviating compaction and the introduction of wider buffer strips farmers can protect their land and improve the soil structure on land to hold and utilise water at source to the benefit of the farm.

Weather patterns are predicted to change with drier summers and wetter winters. Farmers need to be prepared. With preparation, farmers can try to reduce the impact that drier summers may cause. Through introducing technology, making small changes to water management, to examining alternative options, farmers can enhance water availability, storage and quality on farm. SEPA have a dedicated page to water scarcity to support farmers to prepare for periods of drought. Additionally the Farm Advisory Service has sections dedicated to sustainable water management to help farmers adapt and mitigate a changing climate.

• Farm Advisory Service (FAS) and Farming for a Better Climate (FFBC) have produced various materials to help farmers protect their farms with changing climate.
• SEPA have a dedicated section on their website on Water Scarcity, these pages give warning signs in times of drought. The page signposts to rules and regulations and provides guidelines for how to manager water within time of low rainfall.