Multiperiod Optimal Allocation of Emergency Resources in Support of Cross-Regional Disaster Sustainable Rescue

Abstract

Cross-regional allocation is necessary for the rational utilization and optimal allocation of resources. It is also the key to effective and sustainable disaster relief. Existing research, however, generally centers on emergency resource allocation only within territories or regions. This article proposes a multiperiod allocation optimization model for emergency resources based on regional self-rescue and cross-regional collaborative rescue efforts. The model targets the shortest delivery time and lowest allocation costs as its efficiency goals and the maximum coverage rate of resource allocation in the disaster-affected locations as its equity goal. An objective weighting fuzzy algorithm based on two-dimensional Euclidean distance is designed to solve the proposed model. A case study based on the Wenchuan Earthquake of 12 May 2008 was conducted to validate the proposed model. The results indicate that our proposed model allows for optimal, multiperiod cross-regional resource allocation by combining interterritorial and nearby allocation principles. Cross-regional relief makes resource allocation more equitable, minimizes dissatisfaction, and prevents losses. Different decision preferences appear to significantly affect the choice of resource allocation scheme employed, which provides flexibility for decision making in different emergencies.

How to Improve the Cooperation Mechanism of Emergency Rescue and Optimize the Cooperation Strategy in China: A Tripartite Evolutionary Game Model

“…From the perspective of an emergency cooperation mechanism, the main research direction is to optimize the emergency cooperation mechanism at the same level and within the region and to construct a new emergency cooperation mechanism across the region and at different levels. Emergency cooperation between the government and social organizations, cross-regional emergency cooperation, and crossmilitary-civilian emergency cooperation are novel practices in the study of emergency cooperation mechanisms [13][14][15].…”

Multiperiod Equitable and Efficient Allocation Strategy of Emergency Resources Under Uncertainty

“…Emergency resource allocation in humanitarian logistics has attracted increasingly more attention in recent research due to the increased frequency and destructive effects of disasters (Sheu and Pan 2014;Kamran et al 2016;Moreno et al 2016;Farahani et al 2020). Constructing and solving models to provide decision support for emergency resource allocation has become the focus of existing research (Tzeng et al 2007;Mete and Zabinsky 2010;Anaya-Arenas et al 2014;Özdamar and Ertem 2015;Wang 2021).…”

“…As the primary mission of humanitarian relief operations is saving lives, alleviating suffering, and reducing property losses, the majority of the studies focus on efficiency or effectiveness objectives/criteria (Hoyos et al 2015;Wang 2021), that is, the shortest total allocation time (Wex et al 2014;Luan et al 2020;Tang and Ye 2021), the lowest total transportation cost (Barbarosoğlu and Arda 2004;Minas et al 2015;Zhou and Erdogan 2019;Zahedi et al 2020;Han et al 2021), the minimum total casualties (Fiedrich et al 2000), and the shortest total distribution path (Sigal and Pritsker 1980;Yuan and Wang 2009;Hu et al 2020). Tang and Ye (2021), for example, developed an emergency medical resource allocation model for multiple distribution centers and multiple demand points with the objective of minimizing the total allocation time of loading, unloading, and transportation.…”

A Study on the Mechanism and Strategy of Cross-Regional Emergency Cooperation for Natural Disasters in China—Based on the Perspective of Evolutionary Game Theory

“…Specifically, mobility of air pollution and waste discharge, transmission of public health emergencies, spread of natural disasters, occurrence of secondary disasters, and inducement of safety production accidents are all externalized manifestations of the cross-regional characteristics of emergencies. At present, the relevant topics of cross-regional emergency management research usually focus on distribution and coverage of emergency forces [ 41 ], dispatch and allocation of emergency resources [ 42 ], site selection of emergency rescue stations [ 43 ], transmission of emergency command [ 44 ], and dispatch of the cross-regional traffic networks.…”