Dr. Susanne Schmeier is an Associate Professor of Water Law and Diplomacy and the Head of the Water Governance Department at the Institute for Water Education (IHE) in Delft, The Netherlands. Her research, educational, and advisory work focuses on the legal and institutional mechanisms for mitigating conflict potential around natural resources and the environment, with a particular focus on water. She has published widely on topics relating to environmental security, transboundary water management and international organizations managing natural resources and the environment, both in academic journals and books and for a broader policy and general audience. She is particularly active in engaging with non-expert audiences, advocating for cooperative and sustainable water governance that involves a broad variety of stakeholders.
Dr. Schmeier is also affiliated with Oregon State University (OSU), USA, the International Water Law Academy at the University of Wuhan, China, and the Utrecht Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law, The Netherlands. She also advises governments and international organizations on environmental and water conflict and cooperation and supports negotiations and dispute resolution processes in countries and basins around the world.
Prior to joining IHE Delft, Dr. Schmeier worked for the German Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), where she managed GIZ’s transboundary water portfolio around the world and GIZ’s water, energy, and food security nexus project. Prior to this, she also worked for the World Bank and the Mekong River Commission (MRC), among others.
She holds a PhD in transboundary water governance from the Free University of Berlin, Germany, in collaboration with Oregon State University, USA, an LLM in international law from the University of London, UK, and an MA in international law and international relations from the University of Leipzig, Germany, in collaboration with Sciences Po Paris, France.
