(A342) Distribution Network Design in Relief Chain Management: Learnings from the 2008 Kosi Floods, Bihar, India

Abstract

Logistics has always been an important factor in humanitarian aid operations, to the extent that logistics efforts account for 80% of disaster relief. They often have to be carried out in an environment with destabilized infrastructures ranging from a lack of electricity supplies to limited transport infrastructure. Furthermore, since most natural disasters are unpredictable, the demand for goods in these disasters is also unpredictable. Thus it is evident that humanitarian logistics is challenging as it has to be more flexible, and has to function under severe constraints. In India, humanitarian logistics remains a neglected field ins disaster management, the cost of which is paid by loss of human lives and property. In recent Kosi Flood the total population of 33,45,545 people living in 993 villages of 412 panchayats of 35 blocks of 5 districts were affected. A total of 3, 40,742 houses were damaged and 7, 12,140 animals were affected. A total of 239 humans and 1232 animal's lives were lost (Department of Planning and Development, Government of Bihar). The Paper analyses, Madhepura district government's mechanisms of managing logistics while responding to Kosi floods 2008. It evaluates the efficiency of these mechanisms with respect to its outreach to flood affected people. It review and analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the adopted distribution network design for relief management with reference to strategic locations of the relief camps, during the first month of the kosi floods in 2008. It suggests ways to improve disaster logistics at district level in Bihar. The study looks into the possibilities of adopting newer approaches in the field of logistics that could be implemented with greater efficiency under similar conditions. The logistics in the devastating floods at the district level in a developing country has key learning lessons for similar resource poor environments.