System for evacuation and intermodal relief logistics during climate-related events

The inflow of relief to the affected areas after disasters can create challenges such as congestion in entry points and delays in delivery. Decision-making support systems need to account for the possibility of intermodality in disaster relief operations given the different potential sources of relief and the potential of overflow, especially at the initial stages. At the same time, although the urgency in relief operations precedes environmental considerations, optimising evacuation allocation and the flow of relief whilst minimising carbon emissions can be achieved through the coordination of activities and resources. This research aims to introduce the design of a system to optimise the selection of shelters, allocation of human resources, and fair distribution of relief considering CO2 emissions. The system is based on interviews with civil protection authorities in Mexico and their continuous involvement. This presentation introduces a novel two-stage bi-objective stochastic formulation for disaster preparedness and immediate response aiming to minimize operational and environmental cost and maximize the number of people served. A case study in Mexico is undertaken to test the system and share the results with stakeholders and users. The analysis shows the advantages of introducing intermodality in the formulation and the potential reduction of CO2 emissions that can be achieved in humanitarian operations.