Leonard A. Shabman
Senior Fellow
Len Shabman joined RFF in 2002 as a Senior Fellow after three decades on the Virginia Tech faculty member. He has also held positions at the United States Water Resources Council; as a scientific advisor to the assistant secretary of the Army, Civil Works; as a visiting scholar at the National Academy of Sciences; and as Arthur Maass-Gilbert White Scholar at the Corps of Engineers Institute for Water Resources. In 2004, Shabman was honored to be named an Associate of the National Academies of Science (NAS), and in 2018, he received the Warren Hall medal lifetime achievement award from the Universities Council on Water Resources.
Shabman’s current work balances time spent in research with advisory activities in order to have a direct bearing on the design and execution of water and related resources policy. His ongoing work focuses on protocols for water development projects and ecosystem restoration programs, design of market-like environmental management programs, and increasing the effectiveness of national flood risk management and disaster aid programs.
Education
- PhD, Cornell University, 1972
- MS, Cornell University, 1969
- BS, University of Massachusetts, 1967
Featured Content
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Media Highlight — Feb 29, 2024
Virginia Mercury: “A Proposed Army Corps Change Could Affect Hundreds of Billions in Federal Funding”
RFF Senior Fellow Leonard Shabman is quoted in this article about flood resilience policies in Norfolk, Virginia.
Common Resources — Aug 31, 2022
Flood Insurance, Resilience, and Recovery from Disasters: The Case of Eastern Kentucky
Flood insurance is crucial for disaster recovery. However, residential flood insurance remains low in households that suffer the most. RFF scholars share insights about why and suggestions for increasing insurance uptake and improving flood resilience.
Issue Brief — Jul 18, 2022
Nature-Based Flood Solutions and the National Flood Insurance Program
This issue brief examines how the National Flood Insurance Program could reduce premiums by incorporating nature-based solutions.
Journal Article — Jun 7, 2022
Confronting our Agricultural Nonpoint Source Control Policy Problem
Confronting our Agricultural Nonpoint Source Control Policy Problem
Issue Brief — Jul 18, 2022
Nature-Based Flood Solutions and the National Flood Insurance Program
This issue brief examines how the National Flood Insurance Program could reduce premiums by incorporating nature-based solutions.
Journal Article — Jun 7, 2022
Confronting our Agricultural Nonpoint Source Control Policy Problem
Confronting our Agricultural Nonpoint Source Control Policy Problem
Journal Article — Jul 30, 2021
Can Parametric Microinsurance Improve the Financial Resilience of Low-Income Households in the United States?
Can Parametric Microinsurance Improve the Financial Resilience of Low-Income Households in the United States?
Issue Brief — Feb 1, 2021
An Overview of the National Flood Insurance Program in Washington, DC
An Overview of the National Flood Insurance Program in Washington, DC
Environmental Justice Series — Jul 21, 2021
Environmental Justice: Infrastructure Investments and Equitable Benefit-Cost Analysis
Environmental Justice: Infrastructure Investments and Equitable Benefit-Cost Analysis
Workshop — Apr 17, 2014
From the Gulf to the Arctic: What Have We Learned Since the Deepwater Horizon Spill?
From the Gulf to the Arctic: What Have We Learned Since the Deepwater Horizon Spill?
Workshop — Oct 2, 2013
The Future of US Water Supplies
The Future of US Water Supplies
Workshop — Dec 5, 2012
Whither Markets for Environmental Regulation of Air, Water, and Land?
Whither Markets for Environmental Regulation of Air, Water, and Land?
Common Resources — Aug 31, 2022
Flood Insurance, Resilience, and Recovery from Disasters: The Case of Eastern Kentucky
Flood insurance is crucial for disaster recovery. However, residential flood insurance remains low in households that suffer the most. RFF scholars share insights about why and suggestions for increasing insurance uptake and improving flood resilience.
Common Resources — Sep 12, 2019
Considering Ecosystem Service Benefits in Army Corps of Engineers Urban Estuary Projects
Practical ways to capture a broader range of ecosystem services benefits in an urban estuary.
On the Issues — May 5, 2017
Effective Flood Damage Repair and Risk Reduction
Heavy rains have led to extreme flooding in Missouri, causing road closures, property damage, and fatalities. Rain continues, and with it come adde...
Resources Magazine — Apr 5, 2017
Reducing Risk after the Flood
The vast majority of federal funding for flood risk reduction is appropriated after disasters strike. Allocating a greater share to pre-flood progr...
Media Highlight — Feb 29, 2024
Virginia Mercury: “A Proposed Army Corps Change Could Affect Hundreds of Billions in Federal Funding”
RFF Senior Fellow Leonard Shabman is quoted in this article about flood resilience policies in Norfolk, Virginia.
Media Highlight — May 27, 2022
POLITICO: "How FEMA Helps White and Rich Americans Escape Floods"
Senior Fellow Leonard Shabman shares his two cents with POLITICO and E&E News in an investigative story about systemic inequality in FEMA flood adaptation measures.
Media Highlight — Jul 22, 2021
Federal Analysis of Climate Projects 'Similar to Redlining'
Federal Analysis of Climate Projects 'Similar to Redlining'
Media Highlight — Dec 21, 2020
Ag Payments to Control Nutrients Should Be Based on Results
Ag Payments to Control Nutrients Should Be Based on Results