Exploring Mechanisms of Using Seasonal Climate Information to Drive Humanitarian Logistics Preparedness

Abstract

This study aims to identify mechanisms behind the utilisation of seasonal climate forecasts when humanitarian organisations make preparedness measures in their supply chain to mitigate potential disaster risks. When putting such logistics preparedness measures, humanitarian organisations deal with great uncertainty due to the unpredictable nature of natural hazards. Food security is often threatened even under the recurring wet season as the variability and erratic characteristics of its onset, duration, and amount of rainfall bring considerable challenges to the management of supply chains to support food security. By analysing the organisations’ use of seasonal climate information in logistics preparedness to support food security, this study identifies the underlying processes and recognisable logics created through various practices. This study contributes to the literature by discussing how such information can be better used to improve logistics preparedness decision-making and mitigate potential disaster risks.