Abstract：The scientific and reasonable emergency logisticsnetwork, with strong economic and social benefits, is the foundation ofemergency logistics to quickly come into effect. Based on the core philosophyof adaptive supply chain, we first give the conceptual model for adaptivesupply network, establish the emergency logistics network system, and divideits operation into four different stages. Then we analyze the change trend ofsignificance for each objective that emergency logistics pursues in these stages,and introduce penalty function coefficients to strike a balance betweenemergency logistics’ timeliness, economy, and risk. Finally, we build a networkoptimization model for emergency logistics to provide decision-making plans forthe smooth, timely and secure delivery of emergency supplies. 

Keywords:Adaptive supply chain; Emergency logistics; Networkoptimization.

1. Introduction 

Chinais a country frequently hit by naturaldisasters such as floods, earthquakes, mud-rock flows and typhoons. TheSouthern Snowstorm and the Wenchuan Earthquake happened in 2008 brought anextremely serious loss to the country. In the process of coping with thesegreat natural disasters, the importance of emergency logistics has beenhighlighted over and over again. It is thus considered that the fastimplementation of emergency logistics is the basic guarantee of successfulrescues and the lifeline for people in the disaster areas. At the same time,many existing problems of emergency logistics were exposed in the fightsagainst natural disasters. Emergency logistics is the kind of logisticsactivity in which preplans have been made against possible accidents and quickresponses are able to be carried out when the accidents happen. A scientificand reasonable emergency logistics network can shorten the radius of emergency aidand reduce loss to the largest extent. It is the foundation of quickfulfillment for emergency logistics and has strong economic and socialbenefits. Therefore, it comes naturally that emergency logistics networkoptimization becomes a research topic of great importance.

Because of the dynamicity and complexity ofemergency logistics, its network optimization is different from that of generallogistics mainly for the reason that it should have strong adaptability. Theresearch on adaptive supply-demand network is attracting more and more attentionfrom both theoretical and industrial worlds. There have been plentyof emergency logistics literature both at home and abroad, but not from theperspective of adaptive supply chain. Based on the early research and the corephilosophy of adaptive supply chain-learning, innovation, and improvement, thispaper provides a conceptual model of adaptive supply network to develop anemergency logistics network system that is both agile and adaptive. Further, wedivide the operation of the emergency logistics network into four differentstages and analyze the change trend of the significance for each objective thatemergency logistics pursues. Then we introduce penalty function coefficients tostrike a balance between emergency logistics’ different targets of timeliness,economy, and risk, and establish a network optimization model for emergencylogistics.