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Box 7     The Water Environment Fund in Scotland

The aim of the Scottish Government ‘Water Environment Fund’[1] is to improve the physical condition of water bodies to meet the objectives of the WFD. The program also aims to bring wider benefits to designated nature conservation sites, local fisheries and angling opportunities, community amenity and urban green space creation.

Launched in 2008, the ‘Water Environment Fund’ has provided funding of more than £14 million between 2013 and 2018 around the country. It is administered by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, who works in partnership with local authorities, land managers, fishery trusts and angling associations, local communities and volunteers. One of the objectives of the program is to build a greater understanding of the benefits of river restoration in Scotland and the techniques available to achieve it.

The program has led to river channel restoration (including re-meandering), floodplain afforestation, the removal of flood embankments, wetland and peatland restoration, the removal of culverts and barriers to fish migration, and the elimination of non-native species along river banks. The fund also promotes catchment scale restoration and explores synergies with natural flood management.

[1] https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/water/water-environment-fund/