Housing recovery in the aftermath of a catastrophe: Material resources perspective

作者：Diaz Rafael; Kumar Sameer^*; Behr Joshua

来源：COMPUTERS & INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING, 2015, 81: 130-139.

DOI：10.1016/j.cie.2014.12.036

• Humanitarian logistics
• Resource allocation
• System dynamics
• Housing
• Emergency management
• Reconstruction

Background/purpose: The occurrence of catastrophic events proves disastrous as they cause significant physical damages, both at the human and material levels. Depending on the magnitude of the event, a natural phenomenon can potentially lead to loss of life, home destruction and alter the economic and social structures of the affected community. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper insight into the housing recovery process following a catastrophic event from the material resources perspective.
Method: A System Dynamics (SD) model is developed in this paper to study the problem at the reconstruction/repair material supply level in an affected area. The model describes the behavior of material resources in the housing reconstruction and recovery planning a catastrophic event
Results: It enables deeper understanding of the implications of the occurrence of a disaster on the housing material fluctuations. This model considers, due to the resources shortage created, the amount of material adjustments to make in the aftermath of a highly disruptive event. Theoretical results show satisfaction as the model displays expected results, reflecting the importance of timing in decision making for supplies, in the housing recovery progress.
Contribution: The proposed model brings more insight into the types of the housing recovery and the material demands over time. It provides a means to anticipate the demand requirements and alleviate the population's suffering, considering the uncertainties associated with disaster.

• 出版日期2015-3