Network restoration and recovery in humanitarian operations: Framework, literature review, and research directions

Abstract

In the aftermath of large-scale events requiring humanitarian action, critical infrastructure networks in the affected areas, such as electrical power, transportation, telecommunications, water supply, and waste water networks, may be disrupted by the devastating impact of the event. In the short and long term following the event, activities to return these networks to the pre-disaster working state include debris clearance and disposal, infrastructure repair, network reconstruction, road repair and rehabilitation, and snow removal. The costly and complicated nature of these activities has led to an increased level of interest regarding this field in the OR/MS literature over the recent years. In this study, we present the results of a comprehensive overview of the literature on network restoration and recovery in humanitarian operations, and provide a framework to consider this body of literature. We classify the studies in terms of the problems addressed, main decisions, objectives, models, and solution methods for these problems. Based on ongoing work, we also underline potential directions for future research by pointing to the gaps between the needs in the field and the existing body of literature.