Optimal logistics planning for earthquake recovery (example of Tehran)

Disaster relief logistics planning decisions can be divided into two categories: strategic decisions before the crisis, and operational decisions during and after the crisis. One of the strategic challenges in disaster relief logistics planning is the identification of the location of disaster relief warehouses and distribution relief centers, and their inventory levels for each type of relief goods. In the present post-disaster relief process, relief goods are usually provided in distribution relief centers by disaster relief warehouses. The main purpose of this paper is the determination of the required number of disaster relief warehouses and distribution relief centers for providing an optimal relief process in District-1 of Tehran. The proposed approach is based on a mathematical optimization model by considering the augmented epsilon constraint method. To ensure an optimal general solution, a robust two-objective planning model is implemented using GAMS software. The numerical results of the proposed model are provided by combining the humanitarian goal of minimizing the maximum shortage and the economic goal of minimizing relief cost under possible scenarios. To achieve these goals, Mulvey’s scenario-based stochastic programming is used to minimize the average cost of relief (economic goal), and Aghezzaf’s scenario-based stochastic programming is used to reduce the number of casualties (humanitarian goal) by maximizing the relief efficiency rate. Therefore, the best balance between humanitarian and economic goals is obtained related to the allocated relief budget. Thus, the results of this study help to decrease the costs, as well as accelerate the relief process, and subsequently minimize the casualties in disaster situations.