Table 1 Definition of infrastructure... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1

Definition of infrastructure

Study	Definition	Key focus	Relevance to humanitarian logistics
Anand (2009)	“Various services whose availability is crucial to the functioning of economic activity”	Economic functionality: infrastructure is framed as a facilitator of economic operations, implying that disruptions in infrastructure can hinder productivity and trade	In disaster scenarios, economic stability is often disrupted, making infrastructure restoration critical for recovery (e.g. reopening supply chains, markets)
Jaller et al. (2015)	“The type of facilities, services, and installations (e.g., transportation, communication, energy systems) that are essential for the functioning of a community, city, or country”	Community and societal functionality: expands beyond economics to include critical facilities (e.g. hospitals, roads, power grids) necessary for societal survival	Humanitarian operations depend on these facilities (e.g. transport networks for aid delivery, communication systems for coordination)
Niewöhner (2022)	“Networked technical devices that support social action”	Technical and social interdependence: highlights that infrastructure is not just physical but also networked, meaning failures in one component can cascade	Disruptions in one infrastructure (e.g. power outages) can paralyze others (e.g. water pumps, digital systems) and complicate disaster response
Daousis et al. (2024)	“The physical and virtual assets, systems, and networks that are crucial for the functioning of a society. These infrastructures are considered vital due to their significant impact on national security, economic stability, and public health and safety”	Holistic and security-oriented: expands the definition to include virtual (cyber) infrastructure and links resilience to national security and public health	Cyber infrastructure (e.g. data systems for tracking aid) is increasingly critical in modern humanitarian operations

Study	Definition	Key focus	Relevance to humanitarian logistics
Anand (2009)	“Various services whose availability is crucial to the functioning of economic activity”	Economic functionality: infrastructure is framed as a facilitator of economic operations, implying that disruptions in infrastructure can hinder productivity and trade	In disaster scenarios, economic stability is often disrupted, making infrastructure restoration critical for recovery (e.g. reopening supply chains, markets)
Jaller et al. (2015)	“The type of facilities, services, and installations (e.g., transportation, communication, energy systems) that are essential for the functioning of a community, city, or country”	Community and societal functionality: expands beyond economics to include critical facilities (e.g. hospitals, roads, power grids) necessary for societal survival	Humanitarian operations depend on these facilities (e.g. transport networks for aid delivery, communication systems for coordination)
Niewöhner (2022)	“Networked technical devices that support social action”	Technical and social interdependence: highlights that infrastructure is not just physical but also networked, meaning failures in one component can cascade	Disruptions in one infrastructure (e.g. power outages) can paralyze others (e.g. water pumps, digital systems) and complicate disaster response
Daousis et al. (2024)	“The physical and virtual assets, systems, and networks that are crucial for the functioning of a society. These infrastructures are considered vital due to their significant impact on national security, economic stability, and public health and safety”	Holistic and security-oriented: expands the definition to include virtual (cyber) infrastructure and links resilience to national security and public health	Cyber infrastructure (e.g. data systems for tracking aid) is increasingly critical in modern humanitarian operations

Source(s): Authors’ own work