Title: Impact of coordination on post-earthquake last mile relief distribution operations in India

Authors: Reda M. Lebcir; Priyanka Roy

Addresses: Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK ' Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK

Abstract: The operations to deliver relief to disaster affected populations are complex requiring careful planning, execution, and coordination especially during the last mile relief distribution (LMRD) phase. This paper investigates the impact of coordination on LMRD performance in the context of India, one of the most affected countries in the world by natural disasters. The research was carried out in two phases. First, qualitative interviews were conducted with Indian government, national, and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in disaster relief operations in the country. Second, an Agent-Based Simulation model representing Indian LMRD operations was developed and used to evaluate the impact of three coordination scenarios on the Total Level of Inventory in Distribution Centers (TLIDC) and the logistics chain responsiveness during the 45 days period following an earthquake. Findings indicate that better coordination can reduce TLIDC by up to 16% and improves responsiveness by up to 13%. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords: emergency logistics; LMRD; last mile relief distribution; ABS; agent based simulation; coordination; India; earthquake; qualitative method; natural disaster; relief chain; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEM.2023.132390

International Journal of Emergency Management, 2023 Vol.18 No.3, pp.293 - 316

Received: 03 Nov 2020
Accepted: 02 Feb 2022
Published online: 19 Jul 2023 *

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