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Global Climate Change

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Global climate models developed by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predict glacial retreat, rises in sea level, and other impacts on human and natural activity, from agriculture to migratory patterns. RAND researchers have studied and are continuing to examine the effects of climate change, particularly how governments and businesses respond to both observed changes and projected scenarios.

Q&A
Q&A with the Experts: Puerto Rico
When Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico on September 18, electricity went out across the island. It was a reminder that recovery from 2017's Hurricane Maria is far from complete. RAND researchers discuss the difficulties Puerto Rico is still facing.
Oct 10, 2022
Commentary
Why Not Space Mirrors?
Space mirrors can reflect solar radiation away from Earth, potentially helping to address the effects of climate change. But decisionmakers need more information about this technology to determine if it's a viable option.
Oct 19, 2022

Explore Global Climate Change

Research Brief
Exploring America's Role in a Turbulent World
The post–Cold War era is over. The United States faces new challenges abroad and rising political polarization at home. How should America advance its interests and pursue new opportunities around the world?
Jan 18, 2017
Report
Domestic Political Discord Is Now the Greatest Threat to U.S. Global Leadership
The United States needs a coherent international strategy for today's turbulent world. But this will be hard to pursue without more domestic political consensus on America's global role.
Jan 18, 2017
Dissertation
NATO, Climate Change, and International Security: A Risk Governance Approach
Offers a prospective analysis of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the anticipated security consequences of climate change.
Dec 30, 2016
Commentary
Investing in Infrastructure? Don't Forget the Electric Grid
Leaving the future of America's electricity grid to chance should not be an option. To maximize the potential benefits of a multibillion-dollar smart grid investment, a closer examination of technology and policy is needed.
Dec 7, 2016
Report
Urban Responses to Climate Change
More than 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas. Thus, cities lie at the epicenter of America's response to climate change. Analysis can inform how cities choose strategies and allocate resources.
Dec 7, 2016
Commentary
States Could Step Up on Climate Change
The new administration has expressed skepticism about climate change. But states may choose to pursue their own climate change initiatives.
Nov 26, 2016
Blog
'Truth Decay' Makes Facts Subjective and Polarization More Extreme
“When everyone has their own facts, then nobody really has any facts at all,” said President and CEO Michael Rich at RAND's Politics Aside event. Truth Decay pushes political polarization to even greater extremes and prevents policymakers from reaching consensus on solutions to the nation's biggest challenges.
Nov 12, 2016
Project
Building a Sustainable International Order
Experts are assessing challenges to the post-war international order and how U.S. strategy might adapt to today's changing world.
Oct 19, 2016
Essay
Election 2016: The Domestic Issues
RAND offers a unique take on the big domestic issues facing America: research that is independent, reliable, and rigorously nonpartisan.
Oct 3, 2016
Commentary
Infrastructure Design Must Change with Climate
Until recently, infrastructure engineers could use data on past weather to predict future climate. But this is no longer an option. More and more, engineers must consider the effects of climate change. Failure to do so would threaten public safety.
Aug 12, 2016
Report
Characterizing National Exposures to Infrastructure from Natural Disasters: Data and Methods Documentation
This report serves as the technical documentation and reference document for the data, methods, and analytic approach used in the analysis of national exposures to infrastructure from natural disasters.
Jul 12, 2016
Report
Climate Change May Increase Future Exposure of U.S. Infrastructure to Natural Hazards
Exposure to natural hazards such as flooding, drought, and wildfires is projected to be larger and more uncertain in the future due to the effects of sea level rise and changes in temperature and precipitation patterns.
Jul 12, 2016
Journal Article
Climate Change, Migration, and Adaptation in the MENA Region
Climate change is a major source of concern in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This chapter is based in large part on new data collected in 2011 in Algeria, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Morocco, the Syrian Arab Republic, and the Republic of Yemen.
Apr 18, 2016
Commentary
Matching and Migration: Lessons from a Resettlement Program in Indonesia
With careful planning, resettlement remains a feasible and politically attractive option for coping with environmentally-induced migration in many settings. The lessons from Indonesia's Transmigration program can help inform ongoing resettlement planning.
Apr 5, 2016
Report
Water Management, Partnerships, Rights, and Market Trends: An Overview for Army Installation Managers
This report assesses water management, partnerships, rights, and market trends and opportunities, and how Army installations can potentially use them to improve programs and investments in water and wastewater systems.
Apr 5, 2016
Dissertation
Directed International Technological Change and Climate Policy: New Methods for Identifying Robust Policies Under Conditions of Deep Uncertainty
Explores new methods to the study of international technological change and climate policy providing useful insights that can be used for designing a robust architecture of international technological cooperation for climate change mitigation.
Mar 11, 2016
Commentary
Why Engineers Need to Be Thinking About Climate Change
As sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more common, evacuation routes in coastal areas will become more important. Transportation engineers need to be more proactive as they try to anticipate damage to pavement, bridges, and culverts.
Feb 22, 2016
Journal Article
Climate and Energy Analysis: Reinvigorating the Scenario Technique
Scenarios are widely used for long-term climate and energy analysis, but scenario developers and users typically capture only a subset of future uncertainties. By adopting three focal points as part of this methodology, researchers can expand uncertainty consideration and gather user-specific insights.
Feb 4, 2016
Blog
State of the Union 2016: Insights on Obama's Last Address
RAND research, analysis, and expertise provide context for many of the issues discussed in President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address, including the threat of ISIS, global climate change, and bringing peace to Syria.
Jan 13, 2016
Commentary
Paris Gets the (Decision) Science Right
The framework for the Paris negotiations is in sync with what science tells us about how to make effective public policy decisions. This alone makes them historic and may provide a model for both local and global action on more than climate alone.
Dec 18, 2015

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RAND Topic:
Global Climate Change

Topic Synonyms:
Climate Change;
Global Warming

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Lena Easton-Calabria

Policy Analyst

Lena Easton-Calabria is a policy analyst at RAND Corporation and program manager for the NOAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (MARISA) Center. Since joining RAND in 2020, Lena's work has covered topics including disaster management, public health, climate adaptation,…
Hardika Dayalani

Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Hardika Dayalani (she/her) is an assistant policy researcher at RAND and a Ph.D candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Before joining RAND, she worked with a nonprofit in India implementing post-displacement housing programs and researching sustainable building technologies in rural…

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