Research Reports

Healthy wetlands benefit our environment and economy in a number of ways, from providing habitat to wildlife and fisheries, to improving water quality, to offering opportunities for recreation.

Clearly defined and legally secure freshwater tenure rights are essential to Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ livelihoods and food security, as well as to countries’ efforts to achieve sustainable development priorities and ensure climate resilience. However, the extent of the legal recognition of these rights to water remains largely unknown and unmonitored.

The Trump Administration has taken dramatic and sweeping steps to remake federal environmental regulation and redefine the relationships among state and federal environmental decisions. This report, which assesses these steps, helps environmental practitioners, policymakers, and the public-at-large think about what lies ahead, looking particularly at our nation’s ability to address new problems and confront as yet unsolved challenges like environmental justice. The report identifies key categories of action affecting environmental regulation and examines some possible future outcomes.

This report describes some of the federal, state, and local laws and regulations that have been established to reduce the potential health risks posed by the use of perchloroethylene (perc or PCE) at dry cleaners, with a focus on policies that can help reduce exposures at nearby child care facilities and other sensitive land uses. The information is provided to assist policymakers, advocates, and others in further developing and implementing policies and programs in the areas of environmental protection, health, land use, and child care licensing.

Ocean and coastal states around the world are increasingly seeking to better utilize and benefit from their ocean environments, which can be vast in comparison to their land areas. Conflicting human uses, a changing climate, and a desire to ensure long-term sustainability compound the challenge to grow a robust “blue economy.” Consequently, countries are turning to marine spatial planning as a comprehensive management tool to assess and organize present uses of their ocean environments and map for future uses.