David Feldman

Professor of Urban Planning & Public Policy and Political Science, Director of Water UCI UC Irvine

  • Irvine CA

David Feldman specializes in water resources management and policy, global climate change policy, ethics and environmental decisions.

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UC Irvine

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Expert Perspective: UC Irvine's David Feldman on 'How to address the American megadrought?'

With the American West suffering from its worst megadrought in 1,200 years, and the Mississippi River as its lowest levels in recent history, water resource management is key to the America’s future. It’s a political challenge as much as a climate change mitigation one. UCI Water’s director David Feldman studies how water is allocated and distributed, and the difficulties in achieving institutional reform to promote equity in water management in the U.S. and elsewhere. He specializes in water resources management and policy, global climate change policy, ethics and environmental decisions, adaptive management, and sustainable development. Recently, David was featured on the UCI podcast to talk about this issue. If you're a journalist looking to cover this important topic then let our experts help with your stories. David Feldman is a professor of Urban Planning & Public Policy and Political Science, Director of Water UCI. He is an expert in the areas of water resources management and policy, global climate change policy, ethics and environmental decisions, adaptive management, and sustainable development.  David is available to speak with media simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today or call Tom Vasich with UCI media relations at 949-285-6455.

David Feldman

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Biography

David Feldman specializes in water resources management and policy, global climate change policy, ethics and environmental decisions, adaptive management, and sustainable development. His current research is focused on the sources of value conflicts over allocation and distribution of water, and the difficulties in achieving institutional reform to promote equity in water management in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Areas of Expertise

Drought
Sustainable Development
Ethics and Environmental Decisions
Water Resources Management
Global climate change policy
Adaptive Management
Water

Accomplishments

Policy Studies Organization Interdisciplinary Scholar Award

2001

Aaron Wildavsky Award

1997

Merit Award for Exceptional Teaching and Research

1984

Moorhead State University

Education

University of Missouri at Columbia

M.A.

Political Science

1975

University of Missouri at Columbia

Ph.D.

Political Science

1979

Kent State University, Ohio

B.A.

Political Science, English

1973

Magna cum laude

Affiliations

  • Frontiers : Associate Editor in Climate, Ecology, and People
  • Water : Editorial Board member
  • Social Sciences : Editorial Board member

Media Appearances

There’s A “Cyberpunk Dystopian” City Housing 32 Million People That No One Has Heard Of

Bored Panda  online

2024-12-20

The sheer size and rapid growth of Chongqing comes with its own set of challenges. … “Commuters have to be prepared for continuous inconvenience in travel; shifting traffic patterns and detours on a daily basis, and the dust, noise, and pollution caused by constant construction,” Dr. David L. Feldman, Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy and Political Science, University of California, Irvine, told Bored Panda via email.

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Some experts worry a drying climate means U.S. Drought Monitor tool isn’t effective out West

The Orange County Register  online

2024-06-28

David Feldman, a professor of urban planning and public policy at UC Irvine and director of the interdisciplinary Water UCI center, agrees the state and Southern California have seen an increase in severe drought ranges since the monitor was introduced and wonders what might be done to make the tool more relevant. … He suggested the existing categories need to be refined to reflect current conditions – not those that were the baseline when the monitor was first deployed more than two decades ago.

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Wanted in South Korea: Imperialism-Free Cherry Blossoms

The New York Times  online

2024-03-29

During Japan’s rule over the Korean Peninsula, from 1910 to 1945, Yoshinos were planted as part of an effort to instill “cultural refinement” in colonial subjects, said David Fedman, the author of “Seeds of Control,” a 2020 book about Japanese forestry in colonial Korea. … The politics of cherry trees have ebbed and flowed along with Japanese-Korean relations, and nationalist claims about them have mostly crowded out scientific nuances, said Professor Fedman, who teaches history at the University of California, Irvine.

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Event Appearances

Public Acceptance as Key to Water Innovations

Cassandra  EURECAT and European Union

2021-11-17

Toward a New Water Politics: Embracing ethics and cultural diversity in a water-sensitive future

Mexican Institute of Water Technology (Instituto Mexicano de Technologia del Agua)  Online

2020-08-25

People, Place, and Environment as seen through California’s water – must the past be our future?

Investigating People, Place, and the Environment  San Diego County Office of Education conference

2020-02-11

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Articles

Perceived services and disservices of natural treatment systems for urban stormwater: Insight from the next generation of designers

People and Nature

2022

Natural treatment systems (NTS) for stormwater have the potential to provide a myriad of ecosystem services to society. Realizing this potential requires active collaboration among engineers, ecologists and landscape planners and begins with a paradigm shift in communication whereby these groups are made aware of each other's perceptions about NTS and the presence of knowledge gaps that their respective disciplines can bridge.

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Environmental Attitudes and Knowledge: Do They Matter for Support and Investment in Local Stormwater Infrastructure?

Society & Natural Resources

2021

Stormwater infrastructure substantially impacts water quality and supply. In the U.S., local agency investments rely on public support from taxes or fees. Assessing individuals’ knowledge and willingness to pay helps inform potential pathways to funding and green infrastructure implementation.

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University Stormwater Management within Urban Environmental Regulatory Regimes: Barriers to Progressivity or Opportunities to Innovate?

Environmental Management

2021

U.S. public university campuses are held directly responsible for compliance with many of the same federal- and state-level environmental regulations as cities, including stormwater management. While operating as ‘cities within cities’ in many respects, campuses face unique constraints in achieving stormwater regulatory compliance.

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