Optimizing humanitarian water logistics: facility location and routing in drought-affected Brazilian semiarid northeast

Purpose This study aims to present a two-step optimization procedure aimed at enhancing the efficiency of emergency drinking water distribution via tanker trucks in drought-prone regions, specifically focusing on Brazil’s semiarid northeast. Design/methodology/approach The proposed methodology integrates a mathematical model and a metaheuristic algorithm. Initially, an integer programming model determines optimal locations and allocations for water wells. Subsequently, an adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm, as proposed by Erdoğan et al. (2019), addresses the capacitated vehicle routing problem. The approach is applied to real-world data from the Operação Carro Pipa (OCP) and benchmarked against current practices. Findings Implementation of the procedure resulted in a 49.89% reduction in total annual travel distance compared to current OCP operations. Over a 10-year well lifespan, estimated financial savings were approximately 39% higher than current practices, indicating significant efficiency gains in emergency drinking water distribution logistics. Research limitations/implications This study focuses on Brazil’s semiarid northeast, limiting broader generalization. Hydrogeological uncertainties and simplified routing assumptions may affect results. Future research should test the model in diverse drought-prone contexts and incorporate dynamic factors such as climate change. Expanding applications would help validate and refine the framework, enhancing its robustness and adaptability for humanitarian logistics planning in different regions and conditions. Practical implications The proposed procedure serves as a decision-support tool for policymakers and practitioners, enabling substantial cost reductions and improved service delivery in government-led water distribution programs during droughts. Social implications The approach improves access to safe drinking water in drought-affected communities by reducing costs and travel distances. It allows limited resources to reach more people, mitigating water insecurity and related health risks. Optimized logistics also reduce environmental impacts, strengthening community resilience. These outcomes underscore the role of data-driven planning in promoting equity, efficiency and sustainability in humanitarian operations, especially in vulnerable semiarid regions. Originality/value This research uniquely combines facility location and vehicle routing models into a cohesive framework tailored for humanitarian logistics in drought-affected areas, offering a novel contribution to the field.