Post-disaster resource redistribution and cooperation evolution based on two-layer network evolutionary games

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Authors: Yu Chen, Genjiu Xu, Sinan Feng, CT Wang
Cited by: 2
References: 71

Abstract

In the aftermath of large-scale disasters, the scarcity of resources and the paralysis of infrastructure raise severe challenges to effective post-disaster recovery. Efficient coordination between shelters and victims plays a crucial role in building community resilience, yet the evolution of two-layer behavioral feedback between these two groups through network coupling remains insufficiently understood. Here, this study develops a two-layer network to capture the cross-layer coupling between shelters and victims. The upper layer uses a post-disaster emergency resource redistribution model within the framework of the public goods game, while the lower layer adopts a cooperative evolutionary game to describe internal victim interactions. Monte Carlo simulations on scale-free networks reveal threshold effects of incentives: moderate public goods enhancement and subsidies promote cooperation, whereas excessive incentives induce free-riding. In contrast, credible and well-executed punishment effectively suppresses defection. Targeted punishment of highly connected shelters significantly enhances cooperation under resource constraints. A comparative analysis using a network generated from the actual coordinates of Beijing shelters confirms the model's generality and practical applicability. The findings highlight the importance of calibrated incentives, enforceable sanctions, and structural targeting in fostering robust cooperation across organizational and individual levels in post-disaster environments.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation Infrastructure Resilience and Vulnerability Analysis Game Theory and Applications

Publication details

Journal / source
Chaos An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Volume
36
Issue
2
Publication date
1 February 2026
Language
EN