A comparative analysis of a genetic algorithm to the Cova-church heuristic for the purpose of risk and vulnerability assessment in emergency planning

To better examine the use of optimization in emergency planning this report investigates the determination of hazard zones within a geographic area. A hazard zone is an area corresponding to a worst-case evacuation scenario and is a potential vulnerability that should be addressed by risk mitigation strategies. The research compares two heuristic approaches to determining hazard zones based on population and road connectivity within a spatial network. The genetic algorithm and the Cova heuristic both have strengths and weaknesses as discussed throughout this report. The Cova heuristic performs better in sparsely connected networks with smaller hazard zones, while the genetic algorithm performs better in terms of time to obtain a solution and the quality of the solution when the network is dense and has larger hazard zones. Based on these results, the Cova heuristic is recommended for sparse rural networks.