RAND: Sara Hughes2026-04-29T22:33:20ZCopyright (c) 2026, The RAND CorporationRAND Corporationhttps://www.rand.org/about/people/h/hughes_sara.htmlhttps://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/09/governing-at-the-speed-of-change-an-ai-enabled-adaptive.htmlGoverning at the Speed of Change: An AI-Enabled Adaptive Framework for Complex Challenges2025-09-19T19:00:00Z2025-09-19T19:00:00ZAs state and local governments take up AI tools and technologies, there is no universal governance model, and there will be no one-size-fits-all adaptive governance model. Rather, AI governance must be tailored to state and local contexts and AI capacity, and include critical reflection on the outputs generated by AI tools.https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/09/how-to-scale-up-ai-in-government.htmlHow to Scale Up AI in Government2025-09-11T18:00:00Z2025-09-11T18:00:00ZThe opportunity exists now to set standards for AI-enabled governance, but it requires proactive steps in policy development, funding, procurement, workforce development, and safeguards.https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/02/drought-can-hit-almost-anywhere-how-five-cities-that.htmlDrought Can Hit Almost Anywhere: How Five Cities That Nearly Ran Dry Got Water Use Under Control2025-02-05T19:00:00Z2025-02-05T19:00:00ZCommunities across the United States can learn from the experiences of cities that have had to confront major water supply crises and start planning now to avoid the worst impacts of future droughts.https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2024/10/ensuring-resilient-water-infrastructure-requires-creative.htmlEnsuring Resilient Water Infrastructure Requires Creative Financing2024-10-21T19:00:00Z2024-10-21T19:00:00ZMeeting the water challenges of today and the future will require federal spending as well as new financial models and revenue streams to ensure equity, climate change adaptation, and sustainability.https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2024/10/lessons-and-strategies-for-restoring-freshwater-ecosystems.htmlLessons and Strategies for Restoring Freshwater Ecosystems in the U.S.2024-10-08T20:00:00Z2024-10-08T20:00:00ZRestoring and preserving America's critical freshwater ecosystems presents a significant challenge that requires inclusive stakeholder engagement, clear regulatory and interagency navigation, and robust scientific monitoring.https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2024/08/building-flood-resilience-a-grand-challenge-for-us.htmlBuilding Flood Resilience: A Grand Challenge for U.S. Water Policy2024-08-09T15:45:00Z2024-08-09T15:45:00ZFlooding has become the most expensive and frequent disaster in the United States. Since 2000, flooding events occur almost daily, and the cost of inland flooding alone in 2023 was nearly $200 billion. Managing flood risk requires transformations in land use, regulation, insurance, and financing.https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2024/03/not-enough-to-just-replace-lead-pipes.htmlNot Enough to Just Replace Lead Pipes2024-03-01T18:00:00Z2024-03-01T18:00:00ZFrom late 2023 to early 2024, residents of St. Croix were directed to drink bottled water and then to boil their water to be sure it was safe after testing found elevated levels of lead and severe discoloration in parts of the water distribution system. As the drinking water emergency on St. Croix moves out of crisis stage, officials will need to build public trust and a resilient water system.