Prof Germarié Viljoen (LLB, LLM cum laude, LLD) is the Deputy Dean: Research, Innovation, Community Engagement and Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Law at the North-West University. She is an NRF-rated researcher whose work is recognised nationally and internationally in the fields of environmental law, water governance, natural resources law, and the Water–Energy–Food (WEF) Nexus.

Her research explores the intersection of environmental sustainability, social justice and water governance, with a particular focus on South Africa. She has published extensively in these areas and is actively involved in postgraduate supervision and research capacity development.

Prof Viljoen serves on the Research Committee of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law and is an Associate Editor of the Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Association of South Africa.

Beyond academia, she contributes to public discourse through expert commentary, policy briefs, podcasts, and articles on platforms such as The Conversation. Her work seeks to strengthen the connection between legal scholarship, policy development, and societal impact.