Welcome to the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute

About the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute

RAND created the Gulf States Policy Institute in 2005 to support hurricane recovery and long-term economic development in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Today, RAND Gulf States provides objective analysis to federal, state, and local leaders in support of evidence-based policymaking and the well-being of individuals throughout the Gulf States region. RAND Gulf States is dedicated to answering the region's toughest questions related to a wide range of issues that include coastal protection and restoration, health care, and workforce development.

Examining Our Impact

Established in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute tackles tough questions in the topic areas relevant to the region's long-term economic development and the well-being of its residents. For example: How to protect the coasts from future storms? How to provide housing and health care for a population in need? How to educate tomorrow's workforce? And how to ensure energy and transportation for a growing economy?

Capacities of Health Systems in Climate Migrant Receiving Communities: Insights in the U.S. Gulf Coast
Climate shocks and stresses and the process of movement have the potential to influence people's physical, mental, and social health and well-being. How do different communities' health care systems interpret the needs of climate migrants?
Mar 1, 2023
Social Vulnerability Shapes the Experiences of Climate Migrants Displaced by Hurricane Maria
For climate change migrants from Puerto Rico, underlying neglect, discrimination, and other social processes transformed Hurricane Maria from a hazard to a disaster with devastating economic, social, and physical and mental health effects. However, migrants were also able to draw on their faith, community and educational institutions, and new neighbors as sources of strength and coping.
Feb 21, 2023
Resilience in the Bayou
How are the Consortium for Resilient Gulf Communities and the University of South Alabama are supporting local communities in understanding, withstanding, and overcoming stressors brought on by the Deepwater Horizon disaster? A short film tells that story.
Feb 1, 2023
Human Health and Socioeconomic Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill is the only declared Spill of National Significance in US history, and it significantly impacted the health of people and communities in the Gulf of Mexico region. These impacts amplified adverse effects of prior disasters and may compound those of future traumas.
Feb 1, 2023
Disaster Experience, Social Capitals, and Behavioral Health
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, and oil spilled from the breached well-head for months, leading to an unprecedented environmental disaster with implications for behavioral health. What are the relationships between different forms of social capital on different behavioral health indicators?
Jan 25, 2023
Perceived Environmental Threats, Place Attachment, and Natural Resource Employment
Southeast Louisiana is a region prone to disasters and is facing slower moving threats, such as coastal erosion and environmental pollution. What are some factors predicting willingness to move, in the face of environmental threats, among residents of Southeast Louisiana?
Jan 25, 2023
Educating Newcomers: A Research-Practice Conversation
RAND researchers highlight findings from a recent study that estimates the number of children and youth from Central America and Mexico crossing the Southwest border of the United States from 2017 to 2019, as well as findings on policies and practice from two case study school districts in Louisiana and California.
Aug 4, 2022
Climate Change and Implications for Disasters in the United States: Examples from the Arctic, Caribbean, Northeast, and Gulf States
Climate change is contributing to more frequent and more severe disasters. In this video, three climate researchers from the RAND Corporation discuss climate change and risks for disasters in the United States. They focus on several regions: the Arctic, the Caribbean, the Northeast, and the Gulf states.
Jun 10, 2022
What's Missing From Community Disaster Response? The Whole Community
Across the United States, significant gaps exist in disaster response needs and capabilities. Community volunteers have stepped up to fill those gaps where possible. They may need more support and resources.
Nov 9, 2020
Building Community Resilience to Large Oil Spills
How can communities build resilience to large oil spills? This report examines the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and how communities' resilience to similar threats could be improved.
Jul 6, 2020
The Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Spill on Commercial Blue Crab Landings
An examination of the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill suggests the spill resulted in substantial, short-term losses to the blue crab fishery. The fishery also exhibited a high degree of resilience and recovered quickly, but the spill may have changed the composition of the industry.
Feb 10, 2020
Raising the Bar: Louisiana's Strategies for Improving Student Outcomes
Louisiana has received recent attention for some of its new education policies and promising early results. This video provides an in-depth description of Louisiana's approach to improving student outcomes since 2012.
Dec 4, 2019
Creating a Water Risk Index to Improve Community Resilience
What are the physical, social, economic, and environmental factors that contribute to flood vulnerability? An analysis demonstrates two methods to combine water hazard data with a derived water vulnerability index to characterize water risk.
Oct 23, 2019
Flood Damage Reduction Benefits and Costs in Louisiana's 2017 Coastal Master Plan
Louisiana's coastwide master plans include substantial investments in coastal restoration and hurricane flood risk reduction over 50 years. Modeling of different future scenarios showed implementing the plans could yield net economic benefit for coastal Louisiana in many plausible future scenarios.
Oct 23, 2019
What Works for Job Training Programs for Disadvantaged Workers
Can workforce development programs resolve the mismatch between the talent available and the skills in demand? An evaluation of the New Orleans Career Pathways program offers insights that should be helpful to anyone striving to create or improve such programs.
Oct 17, 2019
Incorporating Resilience into Transportation Planning
A resilient transportation system is one in which critical assets are not exposed to hazards or, if they are, there is sufficient capacity to mitigate the negative effects. How can transportation planners better incorporate resilience into their decisionmaking?
Oct 16, 2019
Elevating Teacher Voices, Along with Their Salaries to Professionalize Teaching in Louisiana
Salary raises have a direct impact on teachers' day-to-day lives. But efforts like those in Louisiana to elevate teachers' voices, and not just their salaries, are more likely to make a real difference for the teaching profession by creating a clear career ladder. The state's efforts could also be cultivating a teaching force that is providing students with the curricula and instruction they need to achieve at higher levels.
Sep 18, 2019
Hurricane Recovery in the Bahamas: Turning Good Intentions into Good Decisions
Recovery in the Bahamas will have to be a balancing act. Plans will need to allow for transition toward long-term strategic goals for the nation, but also be mindful of not perpetuating inequities.
Sep 6, 2019
Higher Education Programs in Prison Reduce Recidivism
Evidence shows that correctional education programs are effective—and cost-effective—at improving employment outcomes for participants and at helping to keep them from returning to prison. But given limited budgets, how can the long-term funding of these programs be sustained?
Aug 28, 2019
Reaching Vulnerable Populations in the Disaster-Prone U.S. Gulf Coast
U.S. Gulf Coast responders are faced with a unique challenge when it comes to delivering risk and crisis communication to residents. Engaging in pre-crisis planning with vulnerable populations, and assessing response strategies, can help the region prepare for future disasters.
Aug 21, 2019
Ensemble-Based Flood Vulnerability Assessment for Probable Maximum Flood in a Changing Environment
The magnitude and frequency of hydro-meteorological extremes are expected to increase in a changing environment in ways that threaten the security of U.S. energy-water assets. A proposed framework better illustrates uncertainties to inform decisionmaking for future emergency preparation.
Jun 28, 2019
What Other States Can Learn from Louisiana's School Reform
Louisiana's education policy changes aim to improve outcomes for public school students statewide. How well are these reforms working? Analyses of the state's early efforts to reshape its education system point to several early successes, remaining challenges, and key lessons.
Jun 10, 2019
Educators and Employers Could Align Efforts to Fill STEM Jobs
Middle-skills STEM workers are in high demand in the oil and natural gas industry, but they need the proper training and credentials. Better collaboration between employers and colleges could bridge the gap between the skills and knowledge employers seek and what instructors emphasize.
Feb 7, 2019