Study to predict climate change

Academics in Perth are leading an international project to predict how climate change will affect communities and how they can prepare for it.

The £1.9m study is gathering evidence and experiences from areas across northern Europe - including Sweden, Norway, Greenland and Finland.

They are also surveying the Cairngorms National Park and Glen Urquhart.

They are looking at the affect of global warming on farming, tourism, methods of travel and fuel disruption.

'Proactive now'

One idea they have studied is the development of bluetooth technology to inform skiers in the Cairngorms of poor conditions and give them tips on alternatives which can be enjoyed in the area.

They are also looking into the use of electric vehicles and projects to burn wood for fuel.

Clive Bowman, from the Centre for Mountain Studies at Perth College, said: "From a community point of view they're not just getting the standard graphs where you see temperature going up or the global average, which doesn't really mean a lot to a lot of people.

"They'll be able to find out as a community what the implications of climate change will be on them and how it might increase the flood risk. But then we want to see how they can adapt to that and make changes to the river.

"We're hoping to get the message across that communities can be proactive now, looking at the evidence of what might happen, looking to see where the vulnerability is, so they can make their changes or even see where the opportunities are."