A new planning tool aims to help local authorities, communities and businesses monitor the impact of coastal erosion.

Maps developed by Glasgow University researchers will enable authorities to prepare ‘coastal adaptation plans’ and build resilience in the face of climate-related risks.

The project forms part of the Scottish Government’s Dynamic Coast programme, which is funded by the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW). This national initiative aims to support businesses and communities facing challenges posed by climate change.

“This nationally significant research will assist decision-makers and others to understand how Scotland’s coastal assets need to adapt to the pressures of climate change and improve our collective resilience in the face of this challenge,” said Professor Bob Ferrier, Director of CREW.

Over the next thirty years, research shows around £1.2 billion of Scotland’s buildings, transport infrastructure, cultural and natural heritage may be at risk due to coastal erosion.

Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said the Dynamic Coast maps will be a “valuable tool in the fight against climate change”.

“At least £20 billion of assets, road, rail and residential property lie within 50 metres of our coast,” he said.

“With nature protecting some £14.5bn of these assets, maintaining our natural coastal defences must be a key part of our resilience and adaptation strategies.

“We are already locked into future sea level rise and therefore we must plan for the worst case scenario on the coast. Modelling suggests however that we will see erosion influencing the majority of shores this decade,” Matheson added.

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Working alongside Nature Scot, researchers from the University of Glasgow’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences have led the project to investigate present and future coastal erosion risks since 2015.

Using data collected from 2,000 maps and images – and performing more than five million calculations – researchers were able to show detailed insights into how Scotland’s coastline has eroded over the last 130 years.

Researchers said they can also anticipate the pace and scale of coastal changes in the coming decades due to climate-induced sea level rise.

This latest research demonstrates that coastal erosion is now affecting more of Scotland’s coast than was previously believed. However, more of the coast is expected to be affected in the future, and at faster pace, even if global greenhouse gas emissions are limited.

NatureScot Climate Change Director Nick Halfhide said the research underlines the value of natural defences in the fight against sea-level rises and climate change.

“Nature based solutions are essential in our response to the twin crises of nature loss and climate change, and with COP26 coming to Glasgow in the coming months, there’s no better time for Scotland to take ambitious action,” he said.