Jay Balagna

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.

Earthquake in Turkey, Syria: Insights from RAND Researchers

Thousands of people have been confirmed dead in one the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey and Syria in the past century. As search-and-rescue missions ended and recovery began, a handful of RAND researchers shared some of their initial thoughts.

To Help Climate Migrants, We Must First Recognize Them

Despite the large and growing population displaced by extreme weather, there is no common definition of a “climate migrant.” Once we get a clearer sense of just who is a climate migrant, policy efforts should begin focusing on the full fabric of life in our communities, creating systems that will help migrants become a part of that fabric in safe and dignified ways.

Hurricane Ida Is Part of a Cycle of Disasters—Mitigating Their Impact Means Building Back Better

Building back better means focusing on recovery that not only restores damage from a disaster but also reduces future risk. To meet that goal today, we need to look at the ways our disaster preparedness and response systems actually create risk themselves, by reinforcing things like wealth inequality, systemic discrimination, or access to crucial services.

Climate Change Is Only One Driver of Explosive Wildfire Season—Don't Forget Land Management

The fire seasons that have been scorching huge areas and wiping entire towns from the map appear to be the future. Accepting that wildland fires are a part of our environment and working to live with fires rather than continuously fighting against them may be the most responsible path forward.

As Fire Season Heats Up, Burnout Looms

Increasingly intense fire seasons are taking a physical and mental toll on wildland firefighters. Without more direct attention paid to firefighters' mental health, burnout could decimate the ranks of those who protect lives and property across the West.

Climate Change Migration: Developing a Security Strategy for All

Over the past decade, an average of 21.5 million people annually have been forced to move due to the impacts of extreme weather. Building an understanding of the intersection between climate change, migration, and security is crucial and should take into account that many who face the most direct impacts of climate change are already among the most vulnerable.

Another Record-Breaking Fire Season Shows the Need for a Comprehensive Strategy

Year after year, fires across western U.S. states scorch forests, rangeland, and neighborhoods, wreaking havoc on rural economies and pushing smoke into cities. Policymakers should consider a coordinated and comprehensive effort that brings together the best minds in government, communities, and academia.

Journal Article

Somewhere to Exist: Understanding the Landscape of Daytime Services for People Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles County

The study, undertaken between November 2022 and April 2023, reviewed Los Angeles County’s landscape of daytime services for people experiencing homelessness to inform UWGLA’s investment strategy in this sector.

Report

Accounting for Climate Resilience in Infrastructure Investment Decisionmaking: A Data-Driven Approach for Department of the Air Force Project Prioritization

A new approach allows comparison of infrastructure projects based on their ability to improve installation resilience to climate-related hazards, supporting the Department of the Air Force’s climate resilience investment decisionmaking.

Report

The Trade-Offs of Ukraine's Recovery: Fighting for the Future

In making decisions about reconstruction, the Ukrainian people and their government will face trade-offs regarding timelines, prioritization of efforts, leadership, and funding.

Journal Article

Humanitarian Policymaking as Networked Governance: Social Network Analysis of the Global Compact on Refugees

This article uses social network analysis to understand policymaking from a networked governance perspective. We examine one of the most significant refugee policy processes, the efforts to formulate and adopt the Global Compact on Refugees.

Journal Article

Informality, Violence, and Disaster Risks: Coproducing Inclusive Early Warning and Response Systems in Urban Informal Settlements in Honduras

This research examines the coproduction of early warning systems linked with response capacities for floods and landslides through the case study of work in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with a focus on nine urban informal settlements with high levels of territorial gang violence.

Report

Broadband Communications Prioritization and Interoperability Guidance for Law Enforcement: Critical Considerations in the Transition to the Public Safety Broadband Network

In this report, RAND researchers present practical knowledge to inform law enforcement agencies about available broadband options and opportunities, governance issues, funding options, costs, and barriers to implementation.

Report

Streamlining Emergency Management: Issues, Impacts, and Options for Improvement

Researchers sought ways to streamline, simplify, and strengthen the U.S. emergency management system, assessing how overlap, duplication, and fragmentation could affect implementation and outcomes. They propose options and discuss trade-offs of each.

Report

Los Angeles County's Preparedness for California's Edible Food Recovery Mandate (SB 1383): An Examination of Food Recovery Logistics and Other Challenges

The authors review food recovery in Los Angeles County and specific challenges relating to Senate Bill 1383 implementation, and they suggest ways in which the mandate could be turned into an opportunity for innovation and capacity-building.

Commentary

Addressing Climate Migration: A Review of National Policy Approaches

In this paper, RAND researchers analyze the variety of policy responses that countries have proposed or implemented to address climate mobility, as well as the reasons for pursuing those policies.

Journal Article

When Disaster Management Agencies Create Disaster Risk: A Case Study of the US's Federal Emergency Management Agency

This study is the first to examine disaster risk creation from an organizational perspective, and the first to focus explicitly on how disaster management agencies can shape risk creation.