Melandri Steenkamp

Dr Rochine Melandri Steenkamp is a Researcher at the Global Environmental Law Centre (GELC), Faculty of Law, University of the Western Cape (UWC). She holds an LLB, an LLM in Environmental Law and Governance, and an LLD from North-West University. Her doctoral research examined the role of law and governance in addressing water security in South African cities.

Her research focuses broadly on environmental law and governance, with particular interests in urban environmental governance, water and climate law, biodiversity, environmental justice, just energy transitions, and the intersections between environmental protection, human rights and sustainable development. She teaches Environmental Law and International Environmental Law and contributes to postgraduate teaching and supervision across a range of environmental law fields.

Melandri serves on the Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Association of South Africa and as its Western Cape Regional Representative. She is also a member of specialist groups of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, including those concerned with climate change law, biodiversity, and water and wetlands, and contributes to the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law’s Global Climate Litigation Database as a Climate Litigation Rapporteur. She also serves on the Executive Committee of UWC’s Animal Research Ethics Committee.

Her current research increasingly explores how law can respond more effectively to interconnected climate, biodiversity, water and socio-economic challenges, particularly at the city and local-government level.