Climate change “threatens to alter the very fabric of Scotland”

Dec 1 2009

CLIMATE change “threatens to alter the very fabric of Scotland,” members of the Perth and Kinross Rural Forum were told.

The warning came from MSP Richard Lochhead, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, as he briefed the forum on the major challenges facing decision makers.

Describing Perth and Kinross as a “microcosm of rural Scotland”, the Cabinet Secretary outlined work being undertaken to support the farming sectors, the benefits being reaped by the Scotland Rural Development Programme and the food and drink policy.

Mr Lochhead said: “Warmer, wetter summers will change what plants we can grow, what animals will thrive and where people can live.

“These changes will be compounded by global pressures on food production, demand for land for house building, leisure and energy production.”

Chair of the forum, Councillor Kate Howie said: “This has been an excellent opportunity to raise, at a national level, issues that matter locally to rural communities in Perth and Kinross.’’

The forum brings together different organisations and individuals who play a role in the area's rural economy.