Logistics routes depend on roads, railways, ports, and inland waterways. Critical chokepoints are ports, canals, bridges, border crossings with exposure to flooding, drought (waterways), landslides, and storms. High reliance on time-sensitive delivery windows and multimodal coordination mean low redundancy in key corridors and limited buffer capacity in modern supply chains.
Local disruption leading to global cascading effects causes delays that propagate across supply chains; inventory shortages amplify economic impact; and network rerouting increases cost and emissions.
Vulnerabilities
What could affect networks & routes?
Climate and nature pressures that disrupt network & route reliability.
Transport networks are highly exposed to climate and nature-related hazards such as flooding, storms, heatwaves, landslides, and wildfires. These events can damage or block critical infrastructure including roads, railways, ports and airports, leading to partial or complete route closures.
Extreme heat can also degrade road surfaces and rail tracks, while heavy rainfall can overwhelm drainage systems and trigger landslides. These hazards increase the frequency and severity of transport disruptions, undermining the reliability of logistics networks.
Where could network & route risks start?
How exposed networks & routes are to climate and nature disruption.
Exposure to network disruption is shaped by the geographic configuration and structure of transport routes. Logistics systems that rely on climate-vulnerable corridors such as coastal routes, floodplains, mountain passes, or areas with ageing infrastructure are more exposed to disruption.
High dependence on key nodes (e.g. major ports or distribution hubs) or a limited number of routes increases exposure, as failure at a single point can affect the wider network. Global and highly interconnected supply chains can further amplify exposure by spreading disruption across regions.
How dependent are businesses on networks & routes?
How does network & route disruption impact businesses.
The sensitivity of logistics networks depends on their flexibility, redundancy, and operational design. Systems with limited alternative routes, tight delivery schedules, or heavy reliance on just-in-time logistics are more sensitive to disruption. A lack of modal flexibility (e.g. inability to shift between road, rail, sea, or air) and insufficient contingency planning can increase vulnerability. Â
Networks that operate with minimal buffer capacity or real-time dependencies are particularly sensitive, as even short disruptions can cascade into significant delays.Â
How could network & route disruption spread?
What are the wider knock-on effects of climate and nature risks on networks & routes.
Delays in deliveries can disrupt downstream operations, lead to missed customer commitments and erode service levels. Companies may face increased costs from rerouting, expedited shipping, or holding additional inventory to manage uncertainty. Persistent unreliability can reduce supply chain efficiency, damage customer relationships and affect competitiveness.
Over time, these impacts can necessitate investment in more resilient network design and logistics strategies.
