This project will see the release of a series of documents. 

1) Guidance on creating an operational framework for responding to climate hazards on the local road network 

2) Operational response checklists

Publication
The guidance will be officially launched on 15 July.

The Project

Managing the risk of disruption from flooding, heat and other climate risks is now a core service delivery issue for Local Highways Authorities. 

Local roads are more than transport assets; they are essential community lifelines that connect people to homes, jobs, schools, healthcare and other everyday services.

This guidance supports authorities to move from reactive response to proactive preparedness, make consistent, defensible and consequence led decisions making during incidents and use learning from events to inform future asset management, adaptation and investment decisions.

CIHT's guidance forms part of a wider guide set for Local Highways Authorities. 

The Local Partnerships Hazard Response and Adaptation Summary helps authorities translate national hazard evidence into strategic service design, asset management, preparedness and adaptation. CIHT's Operational Framework and hazard-specific checklists then help authorities turn that strategic intent into practical operational arrangements before, during and after climate hazard events. 

Sponsor of the Project

Ringway

How was this report developed?

The guidance has been developed through engagement with highways practitioners, sector partners and subject specialists. This has included review of existing evidence and practice, stakeholder discussions, a webinar and a practitioner workshop.

The work draws on sector evidence developed through the DfT Lessons from Extreme Weather review, the UKRLG three-year retrospective, DfT Transport Hazard Summaries, and insight from a series of Department for Transport Sponsored, UK Roads Leadership Group workshops held with sector leaders during 2025-6. 

The guide set is intended to be a live resource, reviewed and updated as practice develops and further learning emerges.

More Information

For any questions on the project please email technical@ciht.org.uk

What is in the guidance

The guidance is in 2 parts:

• guidance on creating an operational framework for structuring response to climate events covering topics including leadership, situational awareness, suspension of Business as Usual activity, risk control, workforce resilience, communication, recording decisions & spending, and learning 
• hazard-specific checklists to support consistent action before, during and after events 

Key takeaways

• Climate hazards should be treated as a whole-service resilience issue, not only an asset condition issue. 
• LHAs need processes that allow them to act on credible risk before certainty is available. 
• Defensible decision making during a response will be based on prioritising action according to criticality and consequence, including impacts on communities, critical services and overall network function. 
• Operational response should be supported by “good enough” situational awareness, the use of Rapid Impact Assessment of key assets and locations, and clear decision records. 
• Different hazards can create similar consequences, so authorities need repeatable capabilities that can be applied across hazard types. 
• Learning from events should feed back into service design, asset management, contracts, preparedness, adaptation planning and future investment cases.