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Environmental and Natural Resource Management

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The use and conservation of natural resources such as water, land, soil, plants, and animals affects a multitude of industries, from agriculture and mining to tourism, fishing, and forestry. RAND researchers concerned about ecosystems and sustainability pursue studies in flooding, nuclear energy, drought, coastal restoration, and more in their quest to mitigate the potential adverse effects of mismanagement.

Essay
The Time to Prevent Shortfalls in Critical Materials Is Now
China's domination of the rare earth market is a matter of economic and national security concern. Existing plans to diversify the market and help the United States break its reliance on China likely don't go far enough or fast enough, and the clock is running.
Mar 20, 2023
Commentary
Governance in Space: Mining the Moon and Beyond
Without further cooperation and agreement among space powers, multiple, competing governance systems may end up being established, further increasing potential for conflict. The time to address this issue is now, so that the use of deep-space resources contributes to prosperity, security, and freedom on Earth and throughout the solar system.
Nov 18, 2022

Explore Environmental and Natural Resource Management

Commentary
We Aren't Helpless in the Face of Increasing Fires and Smoke
Modernizing, better funding, and expanding wildland firefighting forces in North America won't make fires or smoke magically disappear. A massive paradigm shift is necessary. But it's clear something needs to happen immediately too.
Jun 12, 2023
Report
Elicitation of Climate Information to Support Water Agency Planning: Report of a Workshop with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Expert elicitation can supplement information from climate models to support adaptation planning. This report describes how the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission used elicitation to identify climate impacts on the city's water supply.
May 8, 2023
Commentary
Do Car Companies Know Where Their Critical Minerals Come From?
The initial slate of electric vehicles qualifying for a new federal tax credit was announced in April. Key to eligibility is the source of critical minerals used in their batteries. While the list of acceptable nations of origin is still being worked out, there's an important practical question the IRS should ask: Do carmakers really know where their critical minerals come from?
Apr 28, 2023
Commentary
Militaries, Metals, and Mining
Securing access to supply, increasing global and domestic capacity, and diversifying supply chains for critical minerals should be at the top of the agenda for both nations and private industry. Failure could jeopardize climate mitigation strategies and U.S. military readiness.
Apr 18, 2023
Blog
Dementia and National Security, Finland Joins NATO, the Four-Day School Week: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the risk that dementia could pose to national security, Finland's NATO membership, the downside of a four-day school week, and more.
Apr 7, 2023
Tool
Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Winter 2022–2023
This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about winter 2022–2023, regional climate trends, and the upcoming spring season. A tool shows an analysis of how the average number of days per year with cold low temperatures is projected to change in the future.
Mar 29, 2023
Periodical
RAND Review: March-April 2023
The cover story describes how K-12 schools can build trust with students to increase threat reporting and strengthen school safety. The Q&A with Ashley Woo explores how restrictions on race- and gender-related topics are affecting teachers.
Mar 22, 2023
Report
Growing Toward a Low-Carbon Future: Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions in California's Westlands Water District
The authors assessed the greenhouse gas emissions of crop production in California's Westlands Water District and the trade-offs of policies aimed at decarbonization. They provide policy insights and recommendations to local and state decisionmakers.
Mar 1, 2023
Research Brief
Growing Toward a Low-Carbon Future: Policy Implications of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Their Trade-Offs in California's Westlands Water District
The authors assessed the greenhouse gas emissions of crop production in California's Westlands Water District and the trade-offs of policies aimed at decarbonization. They provide policy insights and recommendations to local and state decisionmakers.
Mar 1, 2023
Brochure
Implications of Climate Change for Department of the Air Force Missions and Operations
This compilation of climate research conducted within RAND Project AIR FORCE for the Department of the Air Force and more broadly across RAND offers insights about climate change and its implications for military operations and other contexts.
Feb 1, 2023
Tool
Chesapeake Bay Model Inventory and Selection Tool (MIST)
The Model Inventory and Selection Tool (MIST) is an interactive, searchable database of empirical, statistical, and conceptual models relevant to water- and climate-related planning and decisionmaking in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and beyond.
Jan 19, 2023
Tool
Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Fall 2022
This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about fall 2022, regional climate trends, and the upcoming winter season. An interactive tool shows an analysis of the longest stretches of dry days and how they are expected to change in the future.
Dec 23, 2022
Report
Critical Material Supply Chains Should Be More Resilient
The COVID-19 pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine highlight the vulnerabilities of supply chains that are dependent on foreign inputs. How can the U.S. Department of Defense increase the resilience of its supply chains for materials essential to national security?
Dec 15, 2022
Commentary
Is Seabed Mining an Opportunity to Break China's Stranglehold on Critical Minerals Supply Chains?
China dominates global supply chains for nearly all critical mineral resources, including the rare earths that power decarbonization technologies. Seabed mining may be a way to diversify critical minerals supply chains and break China's stranglehold on supplies of some of the world's most important natural resources.
Nov 21, 2022
Tool
Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Summer 2022
This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about summer 2022, regional climate trends, and the upcoming summer season. An interactive tool shows an analysis of the longest stretches of high heat days and how they are expected to change in the future.
Sep 22, 2022
Multimedia
Update on Findings of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
In this webinar, contributors to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and experts from the RAND Climate Resilience Center discuss findings from the report of the IPCC Working Group II.
Aug 3, 2022
Tool
Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Spring 2022
This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about spring 2022, regional climate trends, and the upcoming summer season. A tool shows an analysis of future projected changes in total monthly precipitation, compared to two baseline periods.
Jun 27, 2022
Commentary
How Could the United States Incentivize Investors to Decarbonize the Economy?
While mandatory climate-related disclosure may improve information and decisionmaking for investors, it alone is unlikely to accelerate investment in decarbonization at the rate needed. To motivate private investment in climate mitigation, policymakers could explore additional policies.
May 12, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Environmental and Natural Resource Management

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Susan A. Resetar

Senior Operations Researcher

Susan Resetar (she/her) is a senior operations researcher with over 25 years of public policy research at the RAND Corporation, working in the areas of strategic planning, climate and environmental policy, disaster management and recovery, climate change risks to critical infrastructure and…
Jordan R. Fischbach

Adjunct Policy Researcher

Jordan R. Fischbach (he/him) is an adjunct policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and the director of Planning and Policy Research at The Water Institute of the Gulf. He codirected the RAND Climate Resilience Center from 2015 to 2020, and his research focuses on climate adaptation, urban…

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