A robust disaster preparedness model for effective and fair disaster response

Humanitarian network design decisions belonging to the preparedness stage of disaster management life-cycle are of critical importance since they set the frame for all further post-disaster operations. Having an adequate number of strategically located storage and distribution centers for critical supplies is the key that enables effectiveness, efficiency and fairness when responding to a disaster situation. The preparedness model proposed in this study selects locations and inventory levels of these facilities such that the right mix of relief items can be supplied at the right time. Our mixed integer linear model aims to find a robust relief network design that satisfies the demand for all given disaster scenarios, and to help achieve a better response during the response stage when the relief items are distributed. The assumptions and the parameters used in the model are justified by authorities of humanitarian organizations. We propose a logic-based Benders decomposition approach to solve this problem to optimality. Although the problem is NP-hard, our numerical studies demonstrate that it is possible to obtain optimal or very good solutions to problem instances with realistic sizes.