Drones to the Rescue: A Case Study of Cyclone PAM

Abstract

This chapter considers the potential operation of long-range drones to support the logistic response to a natural disaster using a case study of Cyclone Pam that struck Tafea Province of Vanuatu in March 2015. It provides an overview of how the core capabilities of such drones might be employed in order to overcome the key challenge facing humanitarian logisticians responding to such disasters – namely that of understanding the 6W problem of “who wants what where when and why.” The chapter then discusses the people, process, and technology issues that would need to be overcome in order to operationalize the concept.