A sequential approach for emergency logistics planning in natural disasters

In this paper, we propose a sequential approach for emergency logistics planning in natural disasters. We establish a dynamic time-dependent nonlinear model, which describes a setting in which commodities are transported from dispatching centers to affected areas with different transportation modes in each emergency response period. Then, we develop a matrix-coding-based genetic algorithm to solve the model. Finally, as a simulation study, we adapt the methodology to the emergency logistics problems faced in the WenChuan Earthquake. Computational results show that the proposed methodology will generate a specific logistics plans. Therefore, emergency planners can gain insights for emergency logistics planning by inputting their own sets of date.