Community Health and Environmental Policy Projects

  • Adaptive Management of the L.A. Metropolitan Water District's Integrated Resources Plan

    The 2010 Integrated Resource Plan Update developed by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District (MWD) includes a preferred resource mix as well as an adaptive management approach to monitor key trends and modify the resource mix as necessary. RAND helped the MWD determine which trends are most useful to monitor.

  • The Saddle dam and I/O tower at Diamond Valley Lake, California

    Advising the Metropolitan Water District's Blue Ribbon Commission

    The Southern California Metropolitan Water District sought advice determining which trends are most useful to monitor to implement its adaptive management strategy. RAND supported Metropolitan's Blue Ribbon Commission to develop recommendations for a new business model to help the agency meet its goals over the next fifty years.

  • A group of people planting in a community garden

    Building a Culture of Health

    RAND is supporting the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in its efforts to advance a Culture of Health, with the goal of enabling all Americans to lead healthier lives, now and for generations to come.

  • tuscany, agriculture, cultivate, landscaped, tractor, machine, wheel, technology, sow, hill, sky, summer, outdoor, fertilizer, ground, wheat, italy, countryside, country, work

    Calculating Uncertainty in Biomass Emissions (CUBE) Model

    CUBE 2.0, an update of the 2010 release of the 1.0 version, allows users to estimate the "farm-to-gate" greenhouse gas emissions of biomass feedstocks for energy production, as well as the uncertainty in these emissions.

  • Evaluating Robust Water Management Strategies for the Colorado River Basin

    RAND worked with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Colorado River Basin states to apply innovative robust decision methods to evaluate thousands of plausible futures on the Colorado River and develop and compare strategies to address future vulnerabilities.

  • People paint a mural of a woman on a city wall

    Focus on Wellbeing

    The issue of civic wellbeing has become an important topic. RAND research explores the impact of wellbeing on quality of life across several dimensions.

  • How Does Neighborhood Environment Impact Health Outcomes?

    The PHRESH project examines how neighborhood characteristics—like access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats—could make residents more or less healthy.

  • How Food Insecurity Affects People Living with HIV in Latin America and the Carribean

    RAND researchers developed a decade-long partnership with the World Food Programme and local partners to develop and evaluate pilot projects that address food insecurity and nutritional needs of people with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean.

  • A close up image of green and red vegetables with the words 'Los Angeles Food Recovery Study'. Graphic by Glory Film Co. Philanthropy / Image by Storyblocks

    Los Angeles Food Recovery Study

    Under a new state law, California must significantly reduce organic waste and recover some edible food from going to landfill by 2025. Is Los Angeles County prepared for the new mandate?

  • Pedestrians walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh

    OnePGH: Supporting Development of Pittsburgh's Resilience Strategy

    RAND partnered with the city of Pittsburgh to develop the city's first city-wide Resilience Strategy. Known as OnePGH, it's a comprehensive plan to address the current and future challenges that confront the city and its residents.

  • caretaker helping elderly woman out of wheelchair

    Public Health Preparedness for Special Needs Populations

    To help state and local public health departments develop emergency preparedness plans for special needs populations, this toolkit distills the most relevant strategies, practices, and resources to identify priority populations and strategies for addressing their needs.

  • Woman in a convenience store seen from behind the shelves

    RAND Convenience Store Project

    The RAND Convenience Store Project is conducting a series of research studies to learn about what people purchase at convenience stores.

  • Culvert with a drop, with flowing water

    Robust Decisionmaking May Help EPA's National Water Plan Manage Climate and Other Uncertainties

    Maintaining safe and reliable water supplies depends on timely investments in water treatment, storage, and delivery infrastructure. RAND undertook a project for the EPA to determine the utility of Robust Decision Making (RDM) methods for evaluating the agency's needs and priorities under the National Water Program.

  • Flooded I-10/I-610/West End Blvd interchange and surrounding area of northwest New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana

    Reducing New Orleans Storm-Surge Flood Risk in an Uncertain Future

    Preparing for natural disasters is a long, multi-faceted process that requires years of planning, coordination, and direct action. RAND has developed a new approach for assessing hurricane flood risk in New Orleans under uncertainty and evaluating city-wide approaches for reducing this risk.

  • Child climbing on playground

    SOPARC Online App Enables Easier Recording of Park Use

    SOPARC is a validated, direct observation tool for assessing physical activity and associated people and environmental characteristics in park and recreation settings. RAND developed an online tool for recording park activities.

  • An aerial image of Pittsburgh city showing the catchment area surrounding Washington Boulevard.

    Valuing the Resilience Benefits of Green Infrastructure in Pittsburgh

    Urban stormwater management is a growing challenge in many cities, and green stormwater infrastructure can improve water quality and reduce flooding, while also providing new green space. This project assesses the benefits and costs of green infrastructure for two key watersheds in the Pittsburgh area.