The implications of climate change for coastal hazards on Shetland were discussed at a symposium for members of the public, the Shetland Islands Council and other organisations at Scalloway on 28th February 2005. The links lead to sections of the summary report presented to SIC.

Key recommendations from the speakers

• Assessment of sites at risk from coastal change is required via: search for all vulnerable sites below 5 m OD; determine current status of sites in terms of erosion (not the same as flooding alone); determine past coastal erosion, sediment budget and flooding record of key beach sites using time series aerial photography, documentary records, ground photography, maps and marine charts.
• Assessment required of status and sustainability of current shore protection methods and to investigate feasibility of alternatives.
• Assessment required of current and future changes in the wave environment of Shetland and the impact and chronology of storminess.
• Assessment required of impact of sea level rise and high energy events (eg. tsunami) on the Shetland coast.
• Integrate recommendations for flood and erosion planning within Shetland Shoreline Management Plan and in due course to mesh this with the much more encompassing aims of a Shetland Coastal Zone Management Plan
• Several of the above points require further research to establish key missing elements (eg. storm frequency, storm chronology etc). This research needs to be tightly targeted on Shetland issues.
• Strategic meeting needed with Infrastructure and Planning to identify key requirements, agree programme of data gathering and research, and identify funding needs.