Optimizing humanitarian operations have become inevitably necessary over the years. Prof. Susana Pereira and Researcher Rodolfo Nunes at FGV-EAESP, explore how research on humanitarian operations can benefit the efficiency of logistics of these operations. 

By CoBS Editor Ana Sofia Bello. Related Research: Rodolfo Modrigais Strauss Nunes & Susana Carla Farias Pereira, 2022. “Intellectual structure and trends in the humanitarian operations field,” Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 319(1), pages 1099-1157, December.

Responding to global crisis

In a world where unexpected crises have become the norm – COVID-19 shutting down entire continents, earthquakes in the Middle East causing more than 55,000 fatalities, forest fires wiping out hundreds of homes in Hawaii – the need for rapid, effective humanitarian operations has never been greater. Indeed, as the scale and complexity of these various crises grow – whether natural or even man-made disasters – so does the need for smarter, more efficient humanitarian responses. It is about optimizing every aspect of responding to emergencies, from logistics to supply chain management, and research institutions all around the globe are under pressure to analyze the efficiency of humanitarian operations to offer the aid needed.

A new research approach that fosters partnerships and innovation

Prof. Susana Pereira and researcher Rodolfo Nunes at FGV-EAESP in Brazil utilize bibliometric mapping techniques – computer-assisted review methodology that can identify core research or authors, as well as their relationship – to identify the intellectual structure of humanitarian operations. Using the Web of Science (WoS) database, they complied a dataset of more than 1,000 articles that cover humanitarian operations research. As such, this technique provided insights into the groupings of the most significant works in this research field – including their structure, future trends, and conceptual foundations of humanitarian operation (HO) literature.

As a carry over, such studies encourage partnerships between researchers and organizations leading to more innovative and efficient solutions for future humanitarian operations. The analysis of these articles provides us with the basic building blocks of humanitarian operation  research, emerging trends in disaster response technologies, and what research needs to be further pursued.

Lessons from Hurricane Maria

As we experience or learn of natural disasters some of us may be shocked as to why in many cases there is not enough humanitarian aid or – in the case of Hurricane Maria in 2017 – there was too much. Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, homes were destroyed, the power grids were demolished, and many areas were cut off from essential services. Many private and public institutions came to the rescue, with many areas ending up being flooded with supplies that could not be delivered. Reports indicated that aid distribution logistics were hampered by damaged infrastructure, miscommunication, and a lack of proper coordination.

First focusing on humanitarian supply chain management, Periera and Nunes’s findings pointed to recommendations that NGOs could have applied the efficiency, coordination, and technology of the commercial world to the urgent nature of disaster response. Distribution optimization in the supply chain – focusing on transportation, facility location, and supplies challenges – also highlighted the lessons to be learnt from the disaster in that logistics had remained unchanged and ill-adapted for decades previous and could have been customized to what was needed in such a disaster scenario.

Harnessing emerging technologies

It is worth investigating emerging trends in the research of humanitarian operations. As there are constantly new developments in technologies, humanitarian operations must learn how to utilize and adapt to these new methods, whether that be utilizing Big Data, social media, or network optimization. Big Data, for example, allows organizations to analyze trends and optimize responses in real-time. AI could be used for predictive modeling to prepare for disasters, like hurricanes and earthquakes. Mathematical models are also being developed to optimize healthcare resource allocation in disaster-stricken areas, and organizations are beginning to use social media to reach potential donors. All in all, there is an immense amount of potential in harnessing more complex technologies on the logistics side of humanitarian operations.

It remains to be said that although research in the field of humanitarian operations is growing, many gaps remain, especially in continuous aid operations and how emerging technologies – as mentioned above – can further revolutionize HO. There has also been no study adopting the bibliometric mapping approach as the main methodology such as that carried out by Pereira and Nunes. The need for more empirical studies and real-world applications remains a critical issue.

Given that the future of humanitarian operations relies on the research done in the present day, ensuring that we are focusing on what research is needed – data-driven, optimized, and collaborative – is imperative. Instead of reacting to the next crisis, research allows us to stay ahead through innovative studies, empirical evidence, and smarter strategies. The research tools and methodologies are already at our disposal. The question is, how will we harness them to drive meaningful change?

Useful links:

• Link up with Susana Pereira and Rodolfo Nunes on LinkedIn
• Read a related article: Post-Disaster Recovery: The role of CSR in re-empowering local communities
• Discover another research insight by Prof. Susana Pereira
• Discover FGV-EAESP, Brazil
• Apply for a master’s degree or MBA at FGV-EAESP.

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