Water Literacies in Scotland: Valuing Water Across Culture, Environment, and the Economy

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Water is a vital element of Scotland’s economy, environment and culture. It is a key resource for industries such as food and drink, leisure, and tourism, and is integral to our nation’s identity, natural beauty, and to life itself. Scotland’s water resources are, overall, in good condition compared with other parts of the UK and Europe, with much of the water environment classified as being in good ecological health. However, this resource, on which we have become increasingly reliant, is under growing threat. As the climate changes and patterns of water demand evolve, water resources are becoming more unreliable, through both scarcity and excess. These changes pose immediate and long-term risks to businesses, land managers, the natural environment, and drinking water supplies.

Water Literacies in Scotland, is funded as part of a broader FortH20 programme to bring communities, businesses, and policymakers together to rethink the role of water in society. To ensure that Scotland’s use of water is sustainable, a cultural and behavioural shift is needed towards a shared understanding of the value and finite nature of water. Through a greater understanding of our relationship with water in Scotland and its role and value in our daily lives, we will identify areas where through improved communication and community connection we can foster behavioural change and promote water literacy in the Forth Basin. The project through stakeholder partnerships is co-creating policy, education, and communication strategies that could be deployed to improve water literacy at a national level.