ReliefChain: A blockchain leveraged post disaster relief allocation system over smartphone-based DTN

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Information Systems
• Disaster Management

Background:

• Effective allocation of scarce emergency relief materials is critical in disaster operations.
• Current methods can be ad-hoc due to demand assessment challenges and stakeholder issues.
• Blockchain technology offers immutable record-keeping but requires reliable internet, often unavailable post-disaster.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose ReliefChain, a novel system for post-disaster relief material allocation using blockchain over delay-tolerant networks.
• To ensure accurate validation of relief requirements and mitigate resource diversion.
• To create an immutable and globally accessible record of relief needs and allocations.

Main Methods:

• Designed ReliefChain, a system leveraging blockchain technology for relief allocation in environments with intermittent connectivity.
• Developed smart contracts for uploading relief requirements and allocations to the blockchain.
• Simulated the system's effectiveness on the Ethereum platform, evaluating performance with malicious forwarders.

Main Results:

• ReliefChain successfully creates immutable and accessible records of relief requirements and allocations.
• The system effectively validates needs, forecasts demand, and enumerates item utilities, mitigating resource diversion.
• Simulations demonstrated superior performance in terms of shelter-specific and average resource deficits compared to baseline methods.
• Blockchain performance (processing time, gas consumption) remained efficient despite malicious actors.

Conclusions:

• ReliefChain provides an efficient and secure solution for post-disaster relief material allocation in challenging network conditions.
• The system enhances transparency and accountability in emergency relief operations.
• Blockchain over delay-tolerant networks is a viable approach for critical resource management in disaster scenarios.