Large-scale disasters such as earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes have grown increasingly frequent in recent years, causing huge amounts of property damage, injuries, and fatalities. These disasters typically surpass urban and provincial boundaries and have significant cross-regional effects. In situations such as these, cross-regional emergency response becomes extremely important for post-disaster rescue. Cross-regional allocation is necessary for the rational utilization and optimal allocation of resources. It is also the key to effective and sustainable disaster relief. This article proposes a multiperiod allocation optimization model for emergency resources based on regional selfrescue and cross-regional collaborative rescue efforts.
A case study based on the Wenchuan Earthquake of 12 May 2008 was conducted to validate the proposed model. The results indicate that the proposed model allows for optimal, multiperiod cross-regional resource allocation by combining interterritorial and nearby allocation principles. Cross-regional relief makes resource allocation more equitable, minimizes dissatisfaction, and prevents losses. Different decision preferences appear to significantly affect the choice of resource allocation scheme employed, which provides flexibility for decision making in different emergencies.