Multi-criteria optimization for last mile distribution of disaster relief aid: Test cases and applications

摘要

Transportation of the last mile distribution of disaster relief has to take care of parameters such as time, cost, coverage, equity and security. Security is of great importance in case the area is affected by violent conflicts. United Nations transports have been attacked on many occasions and the incidents of attacks increased considerably in recent years. Transportation security can be improved by using convoys or by choosing safer routes. This may increase cost, time and equity. Thus transportation has to be optimized based on multi-criteria in humanitarian operations. This article presents a compromise programming model for multi-criteria optimization of last mile distribution of disaster aid. This approach ensures that the solution generated is non-dominated or cannot be further improved. This solution is close to the one derived by considering factors individually. The model allows transportation as convoys, as well as takes into account other factors such as cost, time, coverage, reliability and equity. Other similar models are flow models that do not allow transportation in convoys. This model captures conditions of unrest and conflict that in reality will be present at many disaster sites. Three cases namely, Pakistan floods 2010, Niger famine 2005, and the Haiti earthquake 2010 are considered and benchmarked due to the salient features of these cases. (47 refs.)