Prioritization of cyclone preparedness activities in humanitarian supply chains using fuzzy analytical network process

During recent years, the importance of preparedness has increased with increasing frequency of disasters and the cost associated with relief and response activities. Therefore, this study is designed to present the identification and evaluation process of cyclone disaster’s preparedness activities also termed as measures. In this study, 27 cyclone preparedness activities have been prioritized considering six criteria—effective and immediate response, last mile connectivity, disaster resilient community, risk and vulnerability reduction, life safety and property protection, and sustainable recovery and rehabilitation. Moreover, the evaluation process for prioritization of preparedness activities involves significant uncertainty and subjectivity. Therefore, this study integrates the fuzzy logic with analytical network process, a multi-criteria decision-making tool to analyze and present the ranking of selected preparedness activities. Results of this research indicate that human resource management activities are the most needed preparedness activities to mitigate the risk of cyclone disasters in the Indian context. Lastly, sensitivity analysis has also accompanied to reveal the importance of weighing on the ranking of preparedness activities.