POLICY BRIEFS
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June 2009
"Before Disaster Strikes: Rate and Raise Public Preparedness Now"
By Debra Decker, Associate, International Security Program/Project on Managing the Atom
More, more severe, and new types of disasters can be expected to occur as a result of new types of threats (e.g., biological, cyber, nuclear/radiological) and more as well as more severe threats due to increased global interconnectedness and climate change. Yet, most Americans are not adequately prepared to respond to or recover from a catastrophic disaster, and many expect the government to take care of them. Even those who have experienced many common disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes may not make appropriate preparations or exercise proper judgment in responding to new disasters that may require different responses. Although community disaster preparation is considered the purview of state and local governments, when a disaster strikes, the federal government is often called in to respond or to help with recovery. For example, New Orleans estimates that the federal government role in rebuilding that city will be $15 billion. Although all rebuilding costs cannot be averted, better citizen preparation and community standards have been shown to reduce the costs of catastrophes.
May 20, 2009
"Acting in Time on Energy Policy"
By Kelly Sims Gallagher, Director, Energy Technology Innovation Policy
This policy brief outlines urgent priorities for U.S. energy policy at the dawn of the Obama administration, and recommends specific steps that the U.S. government should take to address the numerous energy-related challenges facing the United States. It is based on the book, Acting in Time on Energy Policy (Brookings 2009), edited by Kelly Sims Gallagher, director of the Energy Technology Innovation Policy research group at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center.
We concentrate on six topics: climate change policy, carbon capture and storage policy, oil security policy, energy-technology innovation policy, electricity market structure, and infrastructure policy. The United States cannot afford to wait any longer to enact long-term policies on these topics. In fact, acting early is clearly in the longer-term interest of the United States.
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December 2008
Policy Options: The Obama Administration and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
By Shai Feldman, Member of the Board, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Khalil Shikaki
This document constitutes a first attempt by two experts — one Israeli, the other a Palestinian —to examine these assets and liabilities, these opportunities and constraints, and to evaluate the various options available to the next administration for solving or ameliorating the Palestinian- Israeli conflict.
February 4, 2009
"European Proposal For a Global Pact on Climate Change"
By Sasha Talcott, Director of Communications and Outreach
The January 23, 2009, release of the European Union (EU)'s proposal for a global pact on climate change marks a major step on the road to the 15th Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen. The European blueprint raises several interesting issues for further discussion and consideration.
The Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements, as a matter of course, does not endorse individual countries' negotiating positions. Nevertheless, the European climate platform discusses several issues that will be important moving forward. The Harvard Project's 26 research teams have examined these issues closely.
October 6, 2008
The 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance
By Robert Rotberg, Director, Program on Intrastate Conflict and Conflict Resolution and Rachel Gisselquist, Research Director, Index of African Governance
Small states, island states, and Botswana, and South Africa are the best governed countries in sub-Saharan Africa according to this year’s Index of African Governance
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July 10, 2008
"Indo-Israeli Relations: Key Security Implications"
By Ronak D. Desai and Xenia Dormandy, Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Following more than forty years of diplomatic estrangement, the last decade has witnessed India and Israel embark on a new multidimensional "strategic partnership." What are the implications of growing ties between these two countries for India and the United States?
May, 2008
Generative Infrastructural Urbanism in Dubai
By Stephen J. Ramos, Research Fellow, The Dubai Initiative
In a policy brief published by the Dubai School of Government in May 2008, DI fellow Stephen Ramos gives his recommendations on how the most recent round of infrastructure planning in Dubai will spatially impact the city's form and functionality, and how the Emirate can best prepare for these changes.
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April 7, 2008
"India's Key Foreign Policy Issues"
By Xenia Dormandy, Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
In recent years, India's military, diplomatic and economic energies have expanded far beyond Nehru's Non-Aligned position. But what does that mean for India, its region, and the United States?
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March 24, 2008
"India-Iran Relations: Key Security Implications"
By Xenia Dormandy, Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Ronak D. Desai
While India and the United States have embarked on a campaign to strengthen their bilateral relations, as symbolized by the proposed US-India civilian nuclear deal, it appears as though New Delhi has similarly begun to pursue a more robust relationship with another major power: Iran. The two states have recently expanded cooperation in a number of key areas, including counterterrorism, regional stability, and energy security. What are the implications of this "New Delhi-Tehran Axis" for the United States, and how should Washington respond to growing ties between India and Iran?
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March 2008
Saving Afghanistan
By General (ret.) James L. Jones, USMC, Former Senior Advisor, Preventive Defense Project and Kristin Krohn Devold
This issue brief warns that without urgent policy changes U.S. and international efforts may fail in Afghanistan. The brief addresses the current situation in Afghanistan and offers several policy recommendations to ensure future success there.
