Infrastructure Finance

Emergency Preparedness

commentary
The Disaster Bills Coming Due
The United States largely waits for a disaster to strike and then spends billions to repair damages. Investing in resilience today can significantly reduce the costs to recover after a disaster strikes.
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Sep 20, 2022
Jessie Riposo, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

Biosurveillance

commentary
National Wastewater Tracking Could Help Us Stay Ahead of COVID-19—but Congress Cut the Funds
For years, medical experts have used wastewater to track the spread of diseases. The National Wastewater Surveillance System has the potential to significantly change the way we fight COVID-19 as well as future pandemics, bacterial diseases, and viruses. But building up the robustness of a wastewater surveillance system will take financial support, and it's not clear Congress will provide it.
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Mar 24, 2022
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung
Banking and Financial Services

commentary
More Than Green: Leveraging Green Bonds to Invest in Greater Climate Resilience
The significance of green bonds may depend not only on having a lot of them but also on carefully developing, investing, and tracking projects against the larger goal of climate resilience.
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Nov 24, 2021
Karishma V. Patel, Michelle E. Miro
Banking and Financial Services

commentary
The Growing Green Bond Market Could Plateau. How Can It Grow Further?
If green bonds are a viable tool to reduce emissions and adapt infrastructure to the effects of climate change, how can governments encourage the issuance, sales, and growth in the share of green bonds in the total bond market?
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Nov 23, 2021
David Catt, Nihar Chhatiawala, et al.
Infrastructure Finance

commentary
Green Bonds Can Leave Issuers in the Red
To achieve the Biden administration's blueprint for solar energy and focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation, green bonds may be worth considering. But, like any other financing instrument, they may be best considered through a cost-benefit lens.
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Nov 22, 2021
Brian Wong, Ismael Arciniegas Rueda
Wildfires

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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.
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Aug 16, 2021
Jim Whittington, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg, et al.
Prison Reform

commentary
Defund Prisons, Not Police
The United States spends billions on prisons, jails, and juvenile detention facilities. New lows in incarceration rates present a chance to shift resources away from costly correctional facilities and toward education, job training, transportation, and other community services.
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Aug 9, 2021
Shawn D. Bushway @BushwayShawn, Nidhi Kalra
Critical Infrastructure Protection

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New Thinking to Translate Infrastructure Dollars into Resilience
Infrastructure investments the United States makes today to recover from the pandemic can help boost resilience for the future. We will need to think beyond what we've done in the past to ensure that these investments can continue to protect the nation from shifting threats in the future.
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Jun 2, 2021
Benjamin Lee Preston @bl_preston, Michelle E. Miro, et al.
Infrastructure Finance

commentary
Progress on Infrastructure, but the Devil May Be in the Details
Negotiations are underway between the White House and Congress about the scope of investment in infrastructure and how to pay for it. But reaching a compromise on spending may not be enough to ensure that the spending will produce results as intended.
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May 21, 2021
Debra Knopman, Benjamin M. Miller
Critical Infrastructure Protection

commentary
U.S. Military Power Comes from More Than Just the Defense Budget
With U.S. domestic challenges ranging from the ongoing pandemic to long-delayed infrastructure investments, now is a good time to consider spending that provides both domestic and national security benefits. Infrastructure spending offers one such example.
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May 10, 2021
Miranda Priebe @MirandaPriebe, Bryan Rooney, et al.
United States

blog
President Biden's First Address to Congress: Insights from RAND
President Joe Biden addressed a joint session of Congress, summarizing his administration's early COVID-19 response and outlining plans that aim to loosen the pandemic's year-long grip on a weary nation. The speech reflected the fact that the United States faces policy challenges across a wide range of domains.
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Apr 29, 2021
Infrastructure Finance

commentary
Navigating Speed Bumps to a Possible Federal Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee
It's been clear for years that the gas tax has been losing its ability to pay for America's existing roads and bridges, let alone improvements and new construction. A vehicle miles traveled fee could provide a potential option for a 21st-century transportation funding system.
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Mar 26, 2021
Liisa Ecola, Laura Patton
Liability Risk Management

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Creating the Right Incentives for State and Local Governments to Reduce Disaster Costs
In the United States, federal, state, and local governments share responsibility for paying for losses from disasters. As the frequency and severity of disasters has increased, so have the losses. It's worth considering whether the current risk-sharing approach is appropriate.
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Oct 14, 2020
Jason Thomas Barnosky, Noreen Clancy, et al.
Disaster Recovery Operations

commentary
Counting the Costs: Improving Disaster Recovery Cost Estimation
Estimating the cost of disasters is a complex process. Disaster recovery is complicated even further during this new era of COVID-19, when extra precautions must be taken. How can we estimate costs quickly and reliably, thus improving the flow of dollars back into the community?
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Sep 30, 2020
Kelly Klima @KellyKlima1, Ismael Arciniegas Rueda
International Diplomacy

commentary
What to Watch to Understand the Sino-Iranian Relationship
Beijing and Tehran are in the process of finalizing an ambitious partnership covering a range of security and economic issues. The United States should not overreact to shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East, and should instead keep an eye out to assess the evolution of the relationship and take stock of what is delivered instead of what is merely promised.
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Aug 13, 2020
Colin P. Clarke, Mollie Saltskog
International Economic Relations

commentary
Demystifying the Belt and Road Initiative
Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China works with more than 70 countries to design and implement large infrastructure projects. Why are countries of all stripes turning to China for funding when the world is awash with cash?
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Jul 6, 2020
Rafiq Dossani

Page 1 of 7

A New Approach to U.S. Security Policy in the Middle East

Wait Times for Veterans Scheduling Health Care Appointments

Elon Musk May Have a Point About Bots on Twitter

Putin's Latest Threats, U.S. Policy in the Middle East, Disaster Recovery: RAND Weekly Recap

Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy with Research

The Policy Currents Podcast

Improving Psychological Wellbeing and Work Outcomes in the UK

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Planning for the Rising Costs of Dementia

Infrastructure Finance

The Disaster Bills Coming Due

National Wastewater Tracking Could Help Us Stay Ahead of COVID-19—but Congress Cut the Funds

More Than Green: Leveraging Green Bonds to Invest in Greater Climate Resilience

The Growing Green Bond Market Could Plateau. How Can It Grow Further?

Green Bonds Can Leave Issuers in the Red

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

Defund Prisons, Not Police

New Thinking to Translate Infrastructure Dollars into Resilience

Progress on Infrastructure, but the Devil May Be in the Details

U.S. Military Power Comes from More Than Just the Defense Budget

President Biden's First Address to Congress: Insights from RAND

Navigating Speed Bumps to a Possible Federal Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee

Creating the Right Incentives for State and Local Governments to Reduce Disaster Costs

Counting the Costs: Improving Disaster Recovery Cost Estimation

What to Watch to Understand the Sino-Iranian Relationship

Demystifying the Belt and Road Initiative

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