Introduction to the Scottish Flood Defence Asset Database project
The Scottish Government (SG) is committed to improving its understanding of flooding in Scotland. Recommendations made in recent reports on climate change[1],[2] identified a need for a register of fluvial and coastal defences, containing detailed records of assets, defended areas and number of properties protected. On 1 November 2006 SEPA published the Indicative River and Coastal Flood Map (2006), which shows the 0.5% probability risk of flooding for rivers and the coast in Scotland. However, this map contains only limited information about the location of flood defences and does not take flood defences into account when assessing flood risk. The Scottish Flood Defence Asset Database therefore supplements the SEPA Indicative River and Coastal Flood map by showing locations that currently benefit from flood prevention schemes to mitigate against the risk of flooding.

The Scottish Flood Defence Asset Database:
  • Constructs an electronic database of river and coastal flood prevention schemes and provides a GIS interface to this data.
  • Surveys and details in outline the main dimensions and form of the defences used in each flood prevention scheme.
  • Records the condition of the defences.
  • Shows the area benefiting from defences.
  • Defines defended and un-defended areas to a design standard of 100 years.
  • Establishes the current standard of protection.
  • Determines the number and value of properties benefiting from each flood prevention scheme.

The following documentation is available:
Users should consult the user manual to gain an appreciation of the operations required to efficiently and effectively display and locate the information they require. For those familiar with GIS processes, the Scottish Flood Defence Asset Database uses standard GIS techniques and commands and the user manual illustrates Form Flow Design and Data Form Flow Design.

If you are a flood prevention practitioner or other professional engaged in flood mitigation and prevention activities and have not been issued a username and password, please contact the Scottish Government flooding policy team with your name, address and main area of interest regarding flooding, eg academic study, engineering consultancy, hydrology.

General inquiries regarding this website and its operation should be directed to the webmaster.
  1. Climate change Scottish Implications Scoping Study 1999 Scottish Executive Kerr et al.
  2. Climate Change review of level of protection offered by Flood Prevention Schemes 2001 Scottish Executive D J Price and J E McKenna.