Complex Scenario Planning for Disaster Relief

Reacting to situational needs for disaster relief measures and deployment of limited resources is a two-pronged operational and procedural protocol. It involves pre-disaster scenario-based planning and subsequently real-time on-the-field execution. In view of the potential complexity in terms of scale and magnitude involved, the pre-disaster stage has taken on a greater significance in an effort to achieve a state of operational readiness. In this article, we outline OptiSmart, a fully integrative planning system that can help fulfill such requirements. The system incorporates state-of-the-art optimization algorithms to carry out planning and scheduling, coupled with effective visualization and simulation tools to facilitate high-level operational support planning. This is applicable to both pre-disaster scenario planning as well as on the ground deployment and execution of real-time disaster management of operational protocol.