Enhancing port resilience to typhoon disasters: A framework for recovery optimization and shipping network impact assessment

Extreme weather events driven by climate change increasingly disrupt port operations and maritime transport networks. This study investigates how post-disaster port recovery strategies influence economic losses and maritime network resilience under typhoon impacts. An integrated analytical framework is developed by combining a post-disaster port recovery model, an economic loss assessment model, and a network resilience evaluation approach. Two alternative maintenance personnel allocation schemes are proposed to optimize recovery time and resource utilization, and their effects on economic losses and network resilience are quantitatively compared. Using historical typhoon data affecting major Chinese ports since 1949, simulations are conducted to evaluate port disruption, recovery trajectories, and their impacts on shipping network performance. The results show that recovery efficiency is a key determinant of both economic loss reduction and maritime network resilience, with more efficient personnel allocation strategies leading to significantly shorter recovery durations and higher resilience levels. A case study of the Port of Shanghai validates the applicability of the proposed framework and identifies the optimal recovery strategy, while survey evidence reveals persistent gaps in container ports’ typhoon preparedness. The study contributes to the transportation resilience literature by offering a unified, data-driven framework that links recovery decisions, economic losses, and network-level resilience, and provides practical insights for port managers and policymakers to enhance disaster preparedness and post-disaster recovery planning.