Decision Aid Models and Systems for Humanitarian Logistics. A Survey

The number and impact of disasters seems to be increasing in the last decades, and their consequences have to be managed in the best possible way. Recent years have seen an explosion of literature regarding disaster and emergency management, as it is a topic of high relevance in today’s world. Among this literature, there is an increasing amount of research regarding mathematical models and systems which can help in the decision aid processes developed when trying to respond to the consequences of a disaster. In this introductory section the main definitions concerning disasters, emergencies and humanitarian logistics are stated, which will allow to classify the research into the main phases of disaster management. ∗Contact e-mail: [email protected]