Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Aug 15, 2023

The Invisible Damage from Maui's Fires

The wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed at least 99 people. This loss of life is undoubtedly the fire's most tragic outcome, but with thousands of buildings in the town of Lahaina damaged or destroyed, the rebuilding effort--estimated to cost more than $5 billion--looms large.

According to RAND's Isaac Opper, the full economic cost of rebuilding will likely be far higher. That's because, in addition to decimating buildings and other infrastructure, disasters also destroy human capital, the collective knowledge and skills that drive individual economic earnings, as well as regional economic growth.

The primary way that disasters affect human capital is by disrupting education. Recent research led by Opper shows that school closures and stress and trauma among students lead to prolonged negative impacts: Test scores and college attendance rates drop in the year after a disaster strikes, and there is no evidence they ever rebound. Thus, natural disasters can end up being economic shocks--akin to automation or international trade competition.

"There's no easy remedy for recovering significant amounts of lost education," Opper says. "But as our analysis points out, failing to address these more hidden damages is incredibly costly."

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We Asked Teachers of Color What Makes Them Feel a Sense of Belonging

A racially and ethnically diverse teaching workforce supports the development of all students and is particularly critical for students of color. One key to building and retaining such a workforce is to cultivate a sense of belonging among teachers of color. New RAND survey results highlight ways schools can achieve this: consider student and staff demographics in schoolwide planning, establish groups that support teacher diversity, and foster strong relationships among teachers.

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How to Approach the Situation of ISIS Prisoners in Syria

Approximately 10,000 presumed ISIS-affiliated men and hundreds of youths are detained in prisons across northeastern Syria. A new RAND study finds that guarding these prisons is a challenge because of overcrowding, low resources for guards, and insufficient physical building protections. Given these issues, the most critical security risk is a potential prison breakout. Policy actions to address this may include implementing prisoner repatriation processes, constructing prisons to meet international standards, and professionalizing security forces.

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** RAND Recommends
- In the Washington Post, Annie Yu Kleiman, a RAND researcher and Air Force reservist, recounted her experience helping evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghan allies as the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan two years ago this month.
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- CNBC interviewed RAND's Derek Grossman about India's strategic moves in Southeast Asia, which are helping to counter China's aggression.
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- RAND's Bradley Martin told Newsweek on Friday that expanded U.S. production of weapons amid the war in Ukraine will likely result in more American jobs.
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** Events
Policy Lab: Addressing Violent Extremism in the United States
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 (Online)
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** About RAND
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.

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