Britt van Veggel

Optimising Large-Scale Geospatial Accessibility Problems in LMICs

This research focuses on geospatial accessibility to essential services in low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs). In the first line of work, I addressed large‑scale facility‑location problems through a collaboration with the Dutch Red Cross on water‑well placement in West Darfur, Sudan. The objective was to maximise the number of people within a 500 m straight‑line distance of a well. We developed a decomposition algorithm that can solve instances far beyond the reach of exact optimisation solvers. Additionally, she introduced a heat‑map‑based discretisation technique that generates candidate site regions rather than precise coordinates. This approach is especially suited to data‑scarce settings, allowing planners to refine locations later while preserving the continuous nature of the underlying problem.

The second research strand investigates flood‑resilient accessibility to critical services. Starting with a road‑selection model for Timor‑Leste that prioritised upgrades to preserve access to healthcare facilities, she later expanded the framework to incorporate multiple service types (healthcare, education, food) and to allocate upgrades preferentially to high‑poverty areas. The extended model integrates binary flood‑risk assessments with a risk‑weighted accessibility objective, enabling policymakers to evaluate trade‑offs between investment cost, service coverage, and equity under flood scenarios. Together, these contributions advance methodological tools for planning resilient infrastructure and equitable service delivery in resource‑limited environments.