Flood relief logistics planning for coastal cities: a case study in Shanghai, China

Coastal cities are becoming more vulnerable to flood risks due to climate change, rising sea levels, intense storm surges, population growth and land subsidence. Developing emergency preparedness and response strategies can reduce the impact of coastal flooding and improve a city’s resilience. This article presents a flood relief logistics planning approach aimed at providing decision-makers with a feasible framework. The framework integrates geographic information system (GIS) network analysis and resource allocation optimisation models. Considering the equity of resource allocation, a bi-objective allocation model that minimises the total transportation cost and maximum unsatisfied rate is developed. This flood relief logistics planning approach is applied to Shanghai, China, to present feasible distribution strategies. The case study indicates that the current spatial distribution of emergency reserve warehouses (ERWs) and emergency flood shelters (EFSs) in Shanghai may be vulnerable to extreme flood events. Under a 1000-year coastal flood scenario, the existing emergency resources are insufficient to meet the needs of the affected elderly population. In situations of resource scarcity, reducing the maximum unsatisfied rate can help to improve the equity of resource allocation. Furthermore, incorporating private warehouse clubs (WHCs) into government emergency logistics through public–private collaboration could reduce the governmental burden and improve system efficiency and resilience. This study provides a scientific reference for developing flood relief logistics plans in Shanghai, and it presents a transferable framework that is applicable to other coastal cities.