Mr Lochhead said some level of climate change is unavoidable

He told the Scottish Parliament that tackling the increased risk of flooding brought about by climate change was one of the country's main challenges.

However, the Liberal Democrats said the Scottish Government must first act to tackle climate change.

Ministers have already pledged to review the country's 40-year-old flooding laws.

Mr Lochhead told MSPs that some degree of climate change over the next 30 to 40 years was "unavoidable", adding: "As a result we can expect an increase in flood risk for all types of flooding.

There is a tremendous human cost to those events Sarah Boyack Former environment minister

"In some areas of Scotland the potential risk of flooding could double before the end of the century," he said.

"It is clear that we have to leave behind the idea that we only act after a flood and instead look to reduce the risk of significant impacts of flooding through sustainable flood management."

Lib Dem environment spokesman Mike Rumbles accused the government of complacency on the issue.

"It isn't enough to simply focus on managing the effects of climate change, what the government must do is take urgent action to help reduce climate change in the first place," he said.

'Engineering solutions'

Labour's former environment minister, Sarah Boyack, said flooding in the Water of Leith in her Edinburgh Central constituency in 2000 was one of the first issues she had to deal with as an MSP.

She said full flood protection was not in place seven years on.

"And there is a tremendous human cost to those events," Ms Boyack added.

"People can be out of their houses for the best part of a year and it's not just the loss of money."