The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) has launched a new suite of practical guidance to help the UK’s local highway authorities strengthen their response to the growing threat of climate-related disruption on the local road network.

The resource release comprises a flagship document, “All hazards operational guidance: responding to climate disruption”, alongside six supporting operational response checklists designed to support frontline practitioners managing flooding, extreme heat, wildfires and other climate hazards.

As climate-related events become more frequent and severe, local authorities face increasing pressure to maintain network resilience, protect communities and make timely decisions during rapidly evolving incidents. This new guidance provides a practical framework to help highway authorities move from reactive response towards proactive preparedness and operational resilience.

Developed through extensive engagement with highways practitioners, sector partners and subject specialists, the guidance draws on evidence and learning from the Department for Transport’s review of extreme weather events, UK Roads Leadership Group seminars and a series of workshops involving sector leaders.

The guidance, which has been supported by Ringway, sets out how authorities can establish clear leadership and decision-making arrangements, develop shared situational awareness, prioritise interventions based on consequences for communities, and capture learning from incidents to improve future resilience and investment decisions.

Supporting practical action

Alongside the operational framework guidance, CIHT has produced six hazard-specific operational response checklists, giving highways teams practical tools that can be adapted to local circumstances and used before, during and after disruptive events. Together, the documents form part of a toolkit designed to help authorities adapt their networks to climate change, and translate strategic planning for disruptive events into effective operational action.

Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive, CIHT, said:

“Climate-related disruption is no longer a future challenge; it is an operational reality for local highway authorities across the UK and beyond. Local roads are vital community lifelines, connecting people to work, education, healthcare and essential services.”

“This new guidance has been developed by practitioners for practitioners. It provides a structured, practical approach that will help authorities anticipate risks, make informed decisions under pressure and respond consistently when incidents occur.”

“By strengthening preparedness and supporting continuous learning, the guidance will help the sector build more resilient networks and better protect the communities that depend upon them.”

Supporting the sector

The project recognises that managing disruption from flooding, heat and other climate hazards has become a core service delivery challenge for local highway authorities. The guidance encourages authorities to adopt a consequence-led approach, prioritising interventions where impacts on communities, critical services and network connectivity are greatest.

The guidance was launched on 16 July 2026 and forms part of a wider programme of engagement and knowledge-sharing to support implementation across the sector.

CIHT's guidance is part of a wider toolkit, developed by CIHT and Local Partnerships to support Local Highway Authorities and their partners improve preparedness, operational response, recovery and long-term adaptation arrangements for climate and hazard-related disruption affecting the local road network.

Further guidance will be launched by Local Partnerships in the next few weeks with a focus on longer term adaptation and resilience planning. Information on how the documents fit together, what each one covers, and who should use them will be available here. 

Find out more

The guidance and supporting resources are available from here

Notes to editors

• The guidance has been produced by CIHT in collaboration with sector partners and highways practitioners.
• The document supports local highway authorities in developing operational frameworks to respond to disruption caused by flooding, extreme heat, wildfires and other climate hazards.
• The resource suite includes one operational framework guidance document and six operational response checklists with further complementary guidance soon to be launched by Local Partnerships.
• The project has been sponsored by Ringway.
• CIHT are running a free to attend webinar to explain all this guidance in more detail on the 21 July and more information is available here.