Emergency logistics management—Review and propositions for future research

Abstract

Emergency logistics management has evolved as a prominent international theme due to multiple global disasters in the last couple of decades. Although such global disasters have significantly raised humanitarian support in relief supply and distribution, emergency logistics remain critical during and after a disaster. Hence, it is critical to ensure that an effective and efficient emergency logistics management system is in place to cater to any uncertainties. To commemorate the twenty-five years of Transportation Research Part E (TR-E), we present a brief review of papers published over this period in TR-E on emergency logistics management. Specifically, we highlight the impact, topics, and methodological reach of the journal in the area of emergency logistics. This review provides an overview of the topical areas over those twenty-five years and links these to some of the key debates among logistics/transportation researchers and practitioners. Further, we also highlight the recent trends and propose topics such as “Self-Organized Response System for Emergency Logistics Management” and an architecture for “Integrated Emergency Transportation-Logistics System” for future research in emergency logistics management. More importantly, we believe that this article would pave the way for an integrated and intelligent disaster management framework.