Poor flood protection is costing Scotland millions of pounds every year, a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has said.

The report said the current approach used to deal with the flooding problem was backward and irresponsible.

It predicted future climate change and more building on flood plains would see the risk continue to rise.

The report, Turning the Tide on Flooding, has called for a national flood strategy to create effective flood protection and avoid "piecemeal" responses.

Scotland has been warned to expect more floods

Using the River Clyde as a case study, WWF said it found that three recent floods had cost the insurance industry �170m.

It said Glasgow was the fourth most "at risk" city in the UK for flooding.

It also said 14 different organisations, excluding the emergency services, had some responsibility for flooding.

A WWF spokeswoman claimed the Scottish Executive had failed to provide a cohesive approach to deal with the problem.

She called for someone to be given overall charge of a national strategy to manage Scotland's waters.

The WWF has called for:

• a national floods strategy for Scotland;

• an overhaul of flood legislation, defence funding and responsibilities;

• a national river basin advisory group; and

• support and commitment to a role for flood appraisal groups.

The report said: "With no national overview in Scotland, flood management is reduced to over-reliance on concrete defences and flood warnings."

Flooding brought misery to the Moray area of northern Scotland last weekend for the third time in five years.

First Minister Jack McConnell has registered his concerns over the "regular series" of floods across Scotland.

National strategy

He pledged to establish a special cabinet sub-committee chaired by the deputy first minister to look at the speed with which improvements could be made to flood defences.

But an executive spokesman said ministers did not feel a national strategy was the best way of guarding against future flooding.

In July a UK Government advisor on flood defences said people living in Scotland should brace themselves for more frequent floods.

George Fleming said the one-in-five-year flood was becoming an annual event.

He said road maintenance for flood risk management was at an all-time low and required an overhaul to cope with the extreme conditions.