Shimon Anisfeld, senior lecturer and research scientist in water resources and environmental chemistry at YSE, has launched a new public website on water management issues.
Launched in tandem with his new textbook, “Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability,” Anisfeld's website offers teaching and learning resources on a broad array of water issues — from inequitable access to hygiene to flooding, drought, and climate change .
“Water touches every aspect of our society. The goal of the textbook-website combination is to provide an up-to-date, integrated resource for those who want to better understand the various aspects of the water crisis,” Anisfeld said.
The new website and textbook address water supply and scarcity, water governance and allocation, tribal water rights, transboundary conflict and cooperation, and off stream and instream uses including hydropower, fishing, recreation, flood management, waste disposal, and dams. The material also examines the impact of changing technology on water resources, emerging nature-based solutions, and justice issues. As water management is often a local issue, Anisfeld also includes case studies to illustrate problems and resolutions. The website will be continually updated with the most current data..
“Water ‘hotspots’ are manifestations of serious underlying stresses on our interconnected social–physical water systems. These stresses require sustained attention from water managers, scientists, policymakers, and the public, even after the headlines have faded. That attention, in turn, requires a shared understanding of how water systems function, the stresses they are experiencing, and the tools available to increase their resilience," Anisfeld noted in the preface of his book.
Shimon Anisfeld
Senior Lecturer II and Research Scientist in Water Resources and Environmental Chemistry
More News in Brief
Mapping Public Opinion on Climate Change Across the UK
Urban residents in the United Kingdom perceive greater risks from climate change than rural residents, according to new opinion maps released by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
The online interactive maps depict public climate change beliefs, risk perceptions, policy support, and experiences with climate impacts across the U.K. by respondents 16 years and older in 12 regions who were surveyed in November, 2024. The responses show that a majority of U.K. residents believe climate change is happening (85%), that it is caused mostly by human activities (74%), and is worrisome (78%). However, 84% believe it is a distant threat, harming future generations. Only 55% think it will harm them personally, despite many of the respondents reporting that they dealt with major floods in the past year.
“The mismatch between personal experience and climate attribution revealed by the maps is consistent with prior research finding that direct exposure to extreme weather does not automatically translate into stronger belief that climate change affects these events,” the Yale researchers note.
Photo credit: SteveAllenPhoto via iStock
YPCCC’s Eric Fine Honored With Kroon Cup
As a project manager at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, Eric Fine’s dedication to sustainability extends far beyond his job description. He leads by example: biking to work in all weather, personally maintaining the campus bike repair station he helped install, pushing for carbon-free retirement investment options, and is working towards net-zero at home.
In recognition of his efforts, Fine was awarded the Yale School of the Environment Kroon Cup, , which is presented annually to individuals and groups that embody stewardship and implement projects that engage and inspire the YSE community. Students, staff, and faculty vote to determine the winner among a list of nominated candidates.
One of his nominators said it best. “Nobody more than Eric walks the talk on advancing YSE's mission of sustainability on a daily basis, through his individual actions and on behalf of the YPCCC and the YSE community.”
Fenichel Paper Honored for Enduring Impact on Epidemic Modeling
Eli Fenichel, the Knobloch Family Professor of Natural Resource Economics, and co-authors have been awarded the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s 2025 Paper of Enduring Quality Award for their 2011 PNAS paper on integrating human behavior into models of infectious disease. The study laid key foundations for interdisciplinary research, bridging economics and epidemiology—an approach that proved critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I saw a lot of epidemiologists and economists recommending it to each other to figure out how to collaborate on COVID-19 research,” Fenichel said. “I think it set a benchmark for interdisciplinary research on epidemics.”
The award will be presented at the AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, on July 28.
Eli Fenichel
Knobloch Family Professor of Natural Resource Economics