EditHuman pressures on the environment
Overview of drivers, pressures and key issues
Scotland’s environment is subject to continuous change, partially as a result of the natural forces acting upon it, but mainly influenced by human activities. Some of these changes have been very obvious, for example, sewage disposal and emissions of pollutants from industrial processes. These types of pressures have been increasingly controlled by environmental laws. Other changes and pressures are less obvious such as:
- land use change
- run-off from agricultural land leading to nutrient enrichment of surface waters
- soil erosion
- presence of harmful chemicals at extremely low concentrations, which can lead to environmental changes (e.g. in reproductive biology of communities)
- unknown impacts due to the development of new technologies, such as nanotechnology
It is these changes, generated by human activity, that are of concern, particularly when they occur at such a rapid rate that the environment may not be able to adjust.
This is a key area of activity for SEPA and is perhaps most easily considered in subtopics, albeit inter-related. These are:
- Catchment management, diffuse pollution and soil functioning
- Energy, waste and resource management
- Hazardous chemicals
Catchment management, diffuse pollution and soils research prioritiesCategory Priorities
Improving understanding and scientific assessment, monitoring, analysis and interpretation
Differences in soil structure and biodiversity across Scotland between ecological systems- How to minimise soil carbon loss and use the ecosystem to store carbon
- Soil movement and links to flooding. Impact of peat erosion on climate change
- Source pathway attribution for diffuse pollution and placing within holistic setting – understanding catchment scale processes
- Impacts of radiation on ecosystems
- Information required to support SEPA’s regulatory regimes (e.g. assessing hydromorphological impacts upon the water environment)
Developing innovative and sustainable options for environmental protection including development of methods, tools and techniques that will lead to better regulation- Impact of predicted land use change including impact of development and infrastructure change on soil systems
- Coastal erosion and landslides
- Diffuse pollution and the effectiveness of regulatory regimes
- Promotion of sustainable flood management
- Development of environmental standards to support regulation
Enhancing understanding and influencing values, attitudes, behaviours and decision-making processes that affect the environment and human health - How to maximise the uptake of environmentally supportive behaviours
Energy, waste and resource management research prioritiesCategory PrioritiesImproving understanding and scientific assessment, monitoring, analysis and interpretation- Impacts of large structures in near-shore coastal waters
- Improved understanding of peat systems and their hydrology
- Environmental impacts of different energy technologies on landscape, biodiversity, marine systems
- Development of environmental monitoring tools to support regulation and state of environment reporting
Developing innovative and sustainable options for environmental protection, including development of methods, tools and techniques that will lead to better regulation- Carbon footprint of energy production and supply
- Environmental and human health risks of waste treatment processes
- Economic and social benefits of increasing renewable energy production
- Full life cycle costing – taking account of technology developments and consumer demand – to understand infrastructure investment required to ensure renewable energy supply
- Methodologies to determine viability of different locations for particular forms of renewable energy production
- Where best to concentrate resources within the regulatory cycle to ensure maximum value is recovered from waste with minimal disposal without energy recovery
- Methodologies required to support SEPA’s regulatory regimes
Enhancing understanding and influencing values, attitudes, behaviours and decision-making processes that affect the environment and human health- How to minimise future waste growth and consumption of raw materials and efficient resource use
Hazardous chemicals research prioritiesCategory PrioritiesImproving understanding and scientific assessment, monitoring, analysis and interpretation- Identifying sensitive and vulnerable communities in Scotland with respect to chemical stressors
- ‘Hotspots’ of chemical usage and contamination in Scotland
- Accumulation of chemicals in sediments and soils following release to air, land and water and long-term legacy of contamination
Developing innovative and sustainable options for environmental protection including development of methods, tools and techniques that will lead to better regulation- Key sources and pathways and critical levels of hazardous chemicals and how these relate to predominant chemical industries in Scotland (agriculture, food and drink, electronics, oil and gas, chemicals and textiles)
- Knowing what are safe ‘no effect concentrations’ and what ‘environmental quality standards’ should be set
- Rising environmental concentrations of a number of newly identified chemicals such as chlorinated paraffins, perfluorinated compounds and flame retardants
- Subtle impacts such as food chain contamination and accumulation of persistent chemicals
- How different pieces of legislation protect the environment with respect to hazardous chemicals (critical levels, implementation, synergies between different media)
- How regulation needs to be changed/adapted to consider novel chemicals
Enhancing understanding and influencing values, attitudes, behaviours and decision-making processes that affect the environment and human health- How to respond to new issues that are of environmental consequence
- Changing use of chemicals by the public and their release into the environment, for example from the use of cleaning agents and transport
Potential partners for this research topic on human pressures on the environment include:- Scottish Government, the Research Councils , the Environment Agencies for England & Wales and for Northern Ireland, other Scottish and UK regulatory agencies, Local Authorities, environmental health and health protection research organisations, land use research organisations (e.g. The Macaulay Institute, Scottish Agricultural College, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology), Scottish Natural Heritage, regulated sectors, manufacturing sectors, sector-specific trade associations, Sustainable Development Research Network, Fisheries Research Services, Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, the European Commission and Non-Governmental Organisations.