A Transportation Model for an Effective Disaster Relief Operation in the Sadc Region

Abstract

This paper reviews some challenges faced by humanitarian logistics and supply chain organisations in the transportation of resources, evacuees, and emergency supplies for disaster relief operations in the SADC region. To identify the appropriate transportation to assist in the region, three models were reviewed and proposed: A typical transportation problem, a genetic algorithm based on a spanning tree, and a linear optimisation using Excel Solver. Reviewing the literature revealed that both man-made and natural disasters have caused over ninety thousand fatalities and affected millions just over the past three decades. A further review shows that most disaster deaths are the result of poor infrastructure, especially in populated areas. This presents a challenge to relief organisations in their efforts to provide on-time relief to victims in pre-and postdisaster periods. Although each proposed transportation problem has particular complexities, each of them could assist the region to decrease the relief operation response time and cost. This paper provides the reader with a greater understanding of the challenges faced by the humanitarian supply chain in the SADC region. This paper proposes a conceptual model based on an actual empirical case. OPSOMMINGHierdie artikel hersien sommige van die uitdagings wat deur humanitêre logistieke-en voorsieningskettingmaatskappye ervaar word met betrekking tot die vervoer van hulpbronne, ontruiming van vlugtelinge en noodgevalvoorrade vir rampverligting in die Suider-Afrikaanse ontwikkelingsgemeenskap. Om die gepaste vervoertegniek te identifiseer, word drie modelle ondersoek en voorgestel, naamlik 'n tipiese vervoerprobleem, 'n genetiese algoritme gebaseer op 'n uitstrekkende boom en 'n lineêre optimisering. 'n Literatuurstudie het gevind dat beide mensgemaakte-en natuurrampe meer as negentigduisend sterftes veroorsaak het, terwyl dit miljoene geaffekteer het in die afgelope drie dekades. 'n Verdere ondersoek toon ook dat die meeste rampsterftes as gevolg van swak infrastruktuur is, veral in bevolkte areas. Dit skep 'n uitdaging vir rampverligtingorganisasies in hul poging om betyds verligting aan slagoffers te bring. Alhoewel die voorgestelde vervoerprobleme spesifieke kompleksiteite bevat, kon elkeen gebruik word om die streek by te staan om verligtingsaksies se reaksietyd en koste te verminder. 'n Konspetuele model gebaseer op empiriese data word voorgestel.

The Use of an Adjusted Transportation Model, for Optimizing Provision of International Help, in Case of Emergency Situations

“…and non-base variables Vj Ui cij dij    (15) In this case, the base variables are the daily allowances for international rescuer engagements in some of the affected areas. The values dij are non-base variables as well as numbers below of diagonal in cells.…”

“…This group of authors worked on a transportation model for an effective disaster relief operation in the SADC region. SADC consists of 15 countries: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe [15]. In their paper and with the SADC real-life cases studied, the linear programming model targeted a cost-effective route from origins to supplies, while the spanning tree-based genetic algorithm solved the shortest delivery route, by minimizing both time and cost.…”