Debris removal during disaster response phase : a case for Turkey

Abstract

In this study, a methodology to provide emergency relief supplies to the disaster affected regions is developed. As a result of destructive effects of disasters, debris, which is the ruin and wreckage of the structures, occurs. Proper removal of debris has significant importance since it blocks the roads and prohibits emergency aid teams to access the disaster affected regions. Wrong disaster management, lack of efficiency and delays in debris removal cause disruptions in providing sheltering, nutrition, healthcare and communication services to the disaster victims, and more importantly they result in loss of lives. Due to the importance of a systematic and efficient way of debris removal from the point of improving disaster victims’ life quality and its contributions to transportation of emergency relief materials to the disaster affected regions, the focus of this study is providing emergency relief supplies to the disaster affected regions as soon as possible, by considering unblocking operations of roads through removing the accumulated debris. To come up with a scientific solution methodology to the problem, mathematical models that select the paths in order to transport emergency aid materials in the presence of debris to the pre-determined disaster affected regions are developed. The performances of the models are tested on two distinct data sets from İstanbul. Since it is crucial to act quickly in an emergency case, a constructive and an improvement heuristic are also proposed.