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Brian Chaffin

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Brian Chaffin

20122026

Research activity per year

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Research Interests

Water runs through each of our lives as a resource necessary to sustain human life. Access to clean water for drinking, sanitation, and food production is recognized globally as a fundamental human right, but at the same time, the economic importance of water to commodity production has led to significant privatization of water a resource. As such, societal efforts to manage water are often both collaborative and contested. Broadly, my research aims to disentangle elements of the human-water relationship to better understand potential pathways for managing water sustainably in the future, achieving "water for all," ensuring a sufficient supply of water to meet the global food production needs, and conserving healthy aquatic habitats and associated ecosystem services.

My research and teaching focus on complex questions of water policy and governance, including the emerging realities of administering systems of prior appropriation water rights in a changing climate and amid shifting social values. As an example, I am interested in the legal and political interactions between the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the U.S.-Tribal trust responsibility, and water rights and water management regimes under changing climate scenarios in the U.S. West. A human geographer by training, I leverage theories of complex systems with an application of mixed social science research methods such as ethnographic interviewing and social network analysis to better understand how informal aspects of water governance (e.g., social norms and collaborative networks) influence and are influenced by social-hydrologic conditions on the landscape. I work closely with ecologists and hydrologists in a focused effort to span boundaries between disciplinary science, interdisciplinary synthesis, and environmental decision making. My research projects involve both urban and rural settings and are funded through grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA.

Research Interests

NRSM 422:  Natural Resources Policy & Administration 

NRSM 427: Water Policy

NRSM 428: Climate Policy 

NRSM 570: Political Ecology

Education/Academic qualification

Doctorate, Geography, Oregon State University

Master, Environmental Science, University of Idaho

Bachelor, Resource, Recreation & Tourism, University of Idaho

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
    SDG 2 Zero Hunger
  2. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  3. SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
    SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
  4. SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
    SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
  5. SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
    SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  6. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action
  7. SDG 14 - Life Below Water
    SDG 14 Life Below Water
  8. SDG 15 - Life on Land
    SDG 15 Life on Land
  9. SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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