Transportation in disaster response operations

Disasters are extraordinary situations that require significant logistical deployment to transport equipment and humanitarian goods in order to help and provide relief to victims. An efficient response helps to reduce the social, economic and environmental impacts. In this paper, we define and formulate a practical transportation problem often encountered by crisis managers in emergency situations. Since optimal solutions to such a formulation may be achieved only for very small-size instances, we developed an efficient genetic algorithm to deal with realistic situations. This algorithm produces near optimal solutions in relatively short computation times and is fast enough to be used interactively in a decision-support system, providing high-quality transportation plans to emergency managers.     

突发灾害中应急物流的组织构建

我国幅员辽阔,地质、地貌结构复杂,灾害种类繁多。台风、暴雨、滑坡、泥石流、沙尘暴和生物灾害等突发灾害事件影响着经济、环境和社会可持续发展。把灾害损失降到最低是人类的共同目标。文章研究突发灾害中应急物流的组织构建及符合国情的应急物流组织系统,探讨如何以快捷、优化的途径和方式将各类救援物资送达灾区,使其在灾后黄金救援时段发挥最好的救援救助功能,避免国家财产和人民生命遭受更大损失。     

基于反馈控制原理的应急物资分配动态决策过程分析

随着灾害应急物流系统快速响应机制的建立,应急物资分配在降低自然灾害的影响方面体现出重要作用。应急物资需求具有突发性和动态性等特征,资源的分配是一个动态的过程。基于此借鉴反馈控制原理构建应急物资分配决策模型,对灾害应急物流中的应急物资分配动态决策过程进行分析。     

The Emerging Role of Higher Education in Educating and Assessing Future Leaders for Disaster Relief

As the frequency and intensity of disasters throughout the world increase, so do the demands for humanitarian relief and the need for effective disaster‐based leadership training. Numerous organizations are poised to act in response to disasters that necessitate a significant amount of leadership and logistics support. Although there are many entities often involved in disaster relief, the symposium outlines the emerging role higher education can play in improving response outcomes, not only by providing “boots on the ground” but also by developing skilled disaster relief leaders in both curricular and cocurricular venues. Institutions of higher education provide experiential learning opportunities offering critical service for immediate disaster relief while developing the skills of future leaders. During these experiences, students develop disaster‐based leadership and logistics acumen. Similarly, programmatic assessment is critical in measuring student leadership growth during the experiential learning process of providing disaster relief. The education and assessment of these trainings provides an important dimension of disaster leadership as it examines the leaders in action and fosters a commitment to adequately prepare them to lead in a time of disaster. A qualitative approach is recommended for assessing experiential leadership learning to better inform teaching and to cultivate future disaster leadership that meets ongoing global needs.     

基于景观生态安全格局的泥石流多发城镇防灾、减灾体系构建--以昆明市东川区为例

通过对泥石流灾害形成原因及对城镇造成危害的调查分析,提出泥石流多发城镇的灾害防御应首先从土地资源的保护和利用以及景观的战略布局着手,在城市避难疏散系统的构建中统筹兼顾各类城市灾害的危害性.采取灾害测报系统及布局、生命线保障系统规划,救灾设施及布局、抗灾防灾工程建设和疏散及避难通道规划等五项工程性措施,通过防灾救灾组织指挥体系建设、救灾队伍建设、灾害应急预案的制定、防灾救灾的宣传教育和灾害政策法规建设等五项非工程性措施的支撑,从根本上达到防灾减灾的目标,构建生态安全的城市.     

Pre-positioning hurricane supplies in a commercial supply chain

Inventory control for retailers situated in the projected path of an observed hurricane or tropical storm can be challenging due to the inherent uncertainties associated with storm forecasts and demand requirements. In many cases, retailers react to pre- and post-storm demand surge by ordering emergency supplies from manufacturers posthumously. This wait-and-see approach often leads to stockout of the critical supplies and equipment used to support post-storm disaster relief operations, which compromises the performance of emergency response efforts and proliferates lost sales in the commercial supply chain. This paper proposes a proactive approach to managing disaster relief inventories from the perspective of a single manufacturing facility, where emergency supplies are pre-positioned throughout a network of geographically dispersed retailers in anticipation of an observed storm's landfall. Once the requirements of a specific disaster scenario are observed, supplies are then transshipped among retailers, with possible direct shipments from the manufacturer, to satisfy any unfulfilled demands. The manufacturer's pre-positioning problem is formulated as a two-stage stochastic programming model which is illustrated via a case study comprised of real-world hurricane scenarios. Our findings indicate that the expected performance of the proposed pre-positioning strategy over a variety of hurricane scenarios is more effective than the wait-and-see approach; currently used in practice.     

Sustainable humanitarian supply chain management – exploring new theory

Disaster response operations aim at helping as many victims as possible in the shortest time, with limited consideration of the socio-economic context. During the disaster rehabilitation phase, the perspective needs to broaden and comprehensively take into account the local environment. We propose a framework of sustainable humanitarian supply chain management (SCM) that facilitates such comprehensive performance. We conceptualise the framework by combining literature from the fields of sustainable and humanitarian SCM. We test the framework through an analytic induction process by means of multiple case studies of four relief organisations. Our framework suggests that supply chain design needs to be aligned not only to relief organisations’ enablers, but also to the population's long-term requirements as well as any socio-economic and governmental contingency factors. A good fit between these dimensions leads to sustainable performance. The framework provides an instrument for relief organisations to achieve sustainable performance in the disaster rehabilitation phase.     

自然灾害应急物流管理体系的构建研究

自然灾害应急物流管理体系是为了在发生突发自然灾害的情况下,有组织地进行物资人员等的投入调配的一个综合体系。文中阐述了构建自然灾害应急物流管理体系的必要性,分析了自然灾害应急物流管理体系构建过程中存在的问题,提出了构建完善的自然灾害应急物流管理体系的具体措施。     

我国自然灾害救助应急机制的诊断及对策研究——以2011年旱涝急转的灾害形势为例

针对2011年旱涝急转的特殊灾情,以我国自然灾害救助应急机制为切入点。通过对应急机制的现状分析,综合诊断出当前存在的问题;同时借鉴各国的经验,对我国的相关工作形成启示。在此基础上,提出完善我国的自然灾害救助应急机制的对策。     

应急物流服务网点选址模型研究

应急物流是应对突发事件的重要保障。应急物流可以降低灾害影响程度,缩短受害持续时间,使突发性事件造成损失最小化。而在进行应急物流决策时,首先会面临应急物流服务网点的选址问题。应急物流服务网点置于合理的位置,不仅可以降低成本,而且还能够保证提供应急物资的时效性,从而避免可能导致的更大损失。在给定限制条件下应急服务网点选址模型基础上,综合考虑应急需求的随机性和由灾害导致应急配送时间模糊的不确定情况,研究新的模糊和随机混合机会约束规划选址模型。     

城市灾害应急预案基本要素探讨

目前,城市灾害管理正在逐渐受到各级政府的重视,为了有效地减轻城市灾害的损失,一些大中城市开始制定灾害应急预案.然而,在应该制定什么样的城市应急预案才能真正在救灾抢险中发挥最大作用等方面仍缺少必要的论证和探讨.文章从政府灾害应急救灾的基本程序入手,对城市灾害应急预案的基本要素进行了探讨,提出了城市灾害预测评价和防灾规划是制定城市灾害应急预案的基础,而灾害应急指挥系统、灾害情报体系、救灾抢险体系、应急医疗体系、应急避难体系和交通管理体系六大主要因素构成了城市灾害应急预案的基本要素.     

我国城市自然灾害与应急管理体系研究

对我国城市面对的突发自然灾害形势和特点进行了分析,认为我国城市自然灾害风险高,具有灾害形势复杂、救灾工作难度大的特点,目前我国城市灾害应急体系建设具备法制、体制、预案、人才基础,但也存在法制不健全、机制不完善、灾害意识淡薄的问题,提出了完善体制机制、健全机构、提高承灾能力、增强居民应对能力的相关对策和建议。     

Case study in disaster relief: A descriptive analysis of agency partnerships in the aftermath of the January 12th, 2010 Haitian earthquake

This study analyzes the disaster response and recovery efforts following the January 12th, 2010 Haitian earthquake through the eyes of 18 different relief agencies. Focusing on the formation and maintenance of partnerships after the catastrophic earthquake, this paper explores the concepts of cooperation, mutual understanding, and connectivity among agencies responding to the earthquake. The case study is based on results from interviews and interactions with 18 agencies during a month-long trip to Haiti in the summer of 2010. Of the agencies interviewed, it was found that agencies that had no partnerships or presence in Haiti prior to the earthquake were most likely to build new clinics, orphanages, and schools. Additionally, we found that agencies were more likely to develop new partnerships from new contacts rather than dormant contacts. By studying the partnerships between local and international agencies, it was found that their relationships were less stable than partnerships between international agencies. This study hopes to increase understanding and applicability of research in disaster relief networks by providing a new perspective into how agencies work together.     

云南省宁蒗县泸沽湖流域扎实沟泥石流形成机理

通过对宁蒗彝族自治县泸沽湖流域自然地理、地质环境特征、分区及特征、形成条件、力学特征和活动类型特征等要素的调查与分析,同时按照泥石流地质灾害勘察规范的要求对其力学参数进行了分析计算,从而对该区泥石流特征有了较为清晰的认识,为下一步治理工作提供了依据。     

Optimization models in emergency logistics: A literature review

Optimization modeling has become a powerful tool to tackle emergency logistics problems since its first adoption in maritime disaster situations in the 1970s. Using techniques of content analysis, this paper reviews optimization models utilized in emergency logistics. Disaster operations can be performed before or after disaster occurrence. Short-notice evacuation, facility location, and stock pre-positioning are drafted as the main pre-disaster operations, while relief distribution and casualty transportation are categorized as post-disaster operations. According to these operations, works in the literature are broken down into three parts: facility location, relief distribution and casualty transportation, and other operations. For the first two parts, the literature is structured and analyzed based on the model types, decisions, objectives, and constraints. Finally, through the content analysis framework, several research gaps are identified and future research directions are proposed.     

A dynamic model for disaster response considering prioritized demand points

This paper addresses the problem of distributing relief supplies after the occurrence of a disaster. We develop a dynamic model to serve demand, while prioritizing the response, according to the level of urgency of demand points. Our model is thought to be applied during a planning horizon and it considers dynamic demand, capacity constraints and priorities. To evaluate the applicability of our model, we use a real case study of a flood occurred in Colombia. We also test the computational solvability of our model and we propose and test different solution methodologies for solving larger instances of our problem.     

Risk management in humanitarian supply chain based on FMEA and grey relational analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) necessary for delivering emergency items during the disaster. The combined effects of climate change and the pandemic uncover the vulnerabilities of humanitarian supply chain operations and highlight the importance of risk management. This study aimed to identify priority risk factors and proposed mitigating risk strategies of a local government that is at the forefront of relief operations. It used Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) method to validate the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) approach in identifying priority issues relating to the supply chain risks. This paper reveals that the results of FMEA and GRA are almost similar.     

Disaster relief routing: Integrating research and practice

Disaster relief presents many unique logistics challenges, with problems including damaged transportation infrastructure, limited communication, and coordination of multiple agents. Central to disaster relief logistics is the distribution of life-saving commodities to beneficiaries. Operations research models have potential to help relief agencies save lives and money, maintain standards of humanitarianism and fairness and maximize the use of limited resources amid post-disaster chaos. Through interviews with aid organizations, reviews of their publications, and a literature review of operations research models in transportation of relief goods, this paper provides an analysis of the use of such models from the perspective of both practitioners and academics. With the complexity of disaster relief distribution and the relatively small number of journal articles written on it, this is an area with potential for helping relief organizations and for tremendous growth in operations research.     

Dynamic inventory decisions for humanitarian aid materials considering budget limitations

In case of disaster, providing relief supplies to the affected people has vital importance. Governmental or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) prepare for disasters by purchasing and stockpiling these aid materials in appropriate quantities. They operate under a limited budget and this budget can either be used before the disaster for stocking decisions under uncertainty or it can be used after the disaster to satisfy the required demand at a higher cost when the uncertainty is resolved. If all the budget is used before the disaster, and if there is no disaster in a long term, there will be a high holding cost. On the other hand, if all the budget is reserved for use after the disaster, meeting the demand will be more costly or the demand may not be met within a certain period of time. Thus, NGOs need to decide how to allocate the budget for pre and post-disaster usage. In this system, the budget of NGOs may also change over time through donations or other incomes. In this point of view, NGOs need to make dynamic stock and budget allocation decisions, under the available budget at hand. In our study, we analyze the dynamic stocking decisions of NGOs using stochastic dynamic programming formulations under budget constraints. We develop infinite horizon stochastic dynamic programming models with and without budget considerations, and compare the results of these models via numerical analysis. Detailed numerical studies and results of the sensitivity analysis show the significance of budget considerations in inventory decisions and the effects of different parameters on the system results.     

Analyzing the volume and nature of emergency medical calls during severe weather events using regression methodologies

An effective emergency medical service (EMS) response to emergency medical calls during extreme weather events is a critical public service. Nearly all models for allocating EMS resources focus on normal operating conditions. However, public health risks become even more critical during extreme weather events, and hence, EMS systems must consider additional needs that arise during weather events to effectively respond to and treat patients. This paper seeks to characterize how the volume and nature of EMS calls are affected during extreme weather events with a particular focus on emergency preparedness. In contrast to other studies on disaster relief, where the focus is on delivery of temporary commodities, we focus on the delivery of routine emergency services during blizzards and hurricane evacuations. The dependence of emergency service quality on weather conditions is explored through a case study using real-world data from Hanover County, Virginia. The results suggest that whether it is snowing is significant in nearly all of the regression models. Variables associated with increased highway congestion, which become important during hurricane evacuations, are positively correlated with an increased call volume and the likelihood of high-risk calls. The analysis can aid public safety leaders in preparing for extreme weather events.