Finding optimal depots and routes in sudden-onset disasters: An earthquake case for Erzincan

Abstract

This article focuses on determining the best routes between affected areas and relief depots in sudden-onset disasters and selecting the best depot that can serve at the shortest response time. These decisions are crucial in emergency humanitarian logistics management since the response time to affected areas dramatically influences the survival rate and timely availability of relief items. This article considers many real-life aspects to deal with the problem realistically. A framework based on Geographic Information System (GIS) is presented that takes into account widths and structures of different types of infrastructure (roads, tunnels, and bridges), the survivability of infrastructure according to its spatial proximity to a potential disaster, and legal speed limits in the pre- and post-disaster decision processes. A case study was carried out for an earthquake disaster scenario in Erzincan province of Turkey and various scenarios were generated to analyze the solutions under different conditions.