Improving Postdisaster Humanitarian Logistics: Three Key Lessons from Catastrophic Events

Catastrophic events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the 2010 Port-au-Prince earthquake, and the Tohoku tsunami in 2011 reinforce the critical importance of postdisaster humanitarian logistics (PD-HL), not only in transporting and distributing supplies to the affected populations but in the larger response effort. Conducting efficient and effective PD-HL operations in the aftermath of such events is a huge challenge. The authors of this article present three practical lessons gleaned from fieldwork after the Port-au-Prince, Haiti, earthquake and the Tohoku, Japan, tsunami. The lessons concern the strategic differences between disasters and catastrophes, the need to control the spontaneous flow of supplies, and the benefits of integrating the civic society into the response and recovery.

• Record URL:
  http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/169547.aspx
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07386826
• Authors:
  • Holguin-Veras, José
  • Jaller, Miguel
  • 0000-0003-4053-750X
  • Wachtendorf, Tricia
• Publication Date: 2013-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 4-10
• Serial:
  • TR News
  • Issue Number: 287
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0738-6826

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Disaster relief; Disasters; Emergency management; Lessons learned; Logistics
• Identifier Terms: Haiti Earthquake, 2010; Tohoku Earthquake (Japan), March 11, 2011
• Uncontrolled Terms: Humanitarian assistance
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Security and Emergencies; Transportation (General); I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01496013
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 23 2013 1:44PM