International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 47 (2020) 101568
Available online 12 March 2020
2212-4209/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A framework for assessing the capability of maritime search and rescue in
the south China sea
Xiao Zhou
a
, Liang Cheng
a
,
b
,
c
,
d
,
*
, Kaifu Min
a
, Xiaoyi Zuo
a
, Zhaojin Yan
a
, Xiaoguang Ruan
a
,
Sensen Chu
a
, Manchun Li
a
,
b
,
d
a
Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Land Satellite Remote Sensing Applications of Ministry of
Natural Resources, School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
b
Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
c
Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
d
Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Novel Software Technology and Industrialization, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
ARTICLE INFO
Keywords:
Maritime search and rescue
GIS-based response time model
Multiple criteria assessment
South China Sea
Island
ABSTRACT
Maritime search and rescue (SAR) services are critical for the safety of humans and property in marine envi-
ronments. This paper proposes a comprehensive framework to assess the capability of maritime SAR in the South
China Sea (SCS). The framework comprises three steps. First, rescue vessel response times are estimated by a
geographic information system-based response time model. Second, maritime SAR services demand is calculated
by combining ship location data and marine incident data. Third, three assessment criteria, namely primary
coverage, weighted coverage, and mean access time, are determined to quantitatively assess the capability of
maritime SAR. This framework was then applied to the SCS in the analysis of three scenarios in which the SAR
response system was dened according to the rescue mechanism (e.g., noncooperation vs. cooperation between
countries bordering the SCS). The results showed that only a limited area near the coasts can be reached in a
short response time when countries do not cooperate. It was also determined it is difcult for a single country to
implement SAR missions effectively while covering the whole SCS; a joint SAR mechanism would allow for better
outcomes regarding the performance of maritime SAR services. Furthermore, maritime SAR capacity can be
signicantly improved when island rescue bases are built. The study offers insights to help policy makers take
actions concerning strategic planning to develop effective risk reduction measures and improve maritime SAR
capacity in the SCS.
1. Introduction
The South China Sea (SCS) is one of the heaviest traveled ocean areas
in the world; it is also considered dangerous because of its shallow
waters, rocky coral reefs, typhoons, pirates, and so on [1,2]. During
2006–2015, losses due to shipping accidents were largest in the SCS
compared with other regions in the world [3]. Therefore, it is critical for
regional policy makers to provide effective maritime search and rescue
(SAR) services to reduce the loss of human life and property damage
costs due to maritime accidents. Maritime SAR aims to rescue people in
distress at sea and assist ships in difcult situations [4–6]. A number of
large-scale maritime SAR operations were carried out in recent years in
Chinese waters. For example, on January 6, 2018, Iranian-owned tanker
Sanchi collided with the Hong Kong-agged cargo ship CF Crystal and
caught re [7]. Chinese authorities quickly arrived to the scene to search
for and rescue missing crew. The timing of SAR is a key factor for severe
accidents and of great importance in planning a SAR system [8–10];
quick response to an incident has a signicant impact on victims’ sur-
vival rate.
Recent research on maritime SAR can be classied into two cate-
gories [1]: operational support and strategic planning. Operational
support focuses on real-time SAR operations guided by computational
approaches, thus allowing a missing object at sea to be detected in the
shortest time [9]. Since the rst computer-based search model was
successfully used in SAR operations in the 1970s, operational SAR
models have become more complicated and compute-intensive [9]. One
of the most widely used models is the leeway model, which is an oceanic
trajectory model for drifting objects [11]. It utilizes an ensemble of
* Corresponding author. School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China.
E-mail address: lcheng@nju.edu.cn (L. Cheng).
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijdrr
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101568
Received 25 July 2019; Received in revised form 6 January 2020; Accepted 10 March 2020
