The Environmental Law Research Institute – ELRI

ELRI is a multidisciplinary nonprofit environmental research and policy analysis institute. ELRI provides advanced research, consultancy, project management, advocacy and training services in international development. With access to a dedicated team of legal practitioners, social scientists and environmental scientist, ELRI operates within an internal structure that enables it to effectively deliver in contractual, operational, managerial and financial aspects of client-funded projects. ELRI has a track record of work with international organizations and is able to respond quickly and flexibly to the needs and requests of its partners and clients.

Vision:
To be recognised as a credible facilitator of superior scholarship and leadership in providing local and global information on environmental laws and the promotion of environmental rights for the benefit of individual citizens, indigenous communities and broader public policy.

Mission and Objectives:

ELRI’s mission and objectives is to achieve the following among others:

• Advance environmental protection and governance in Nigeria by influencing actions and initiatives that can serve as catalyst for the enhancement of environmental law and policy;
• Provide objective, non partisan analysis of law and policies, and deliver education programs for the improvement of environmental protection and governance in Nigeria;
• Provide information services, advice and publications on environmental practices and programs as it affects sub-Saharan Africa;
• Provide training tools and support to citizen organisation, government agencies, businesses, environmental managers, communities, indigenous peoples and various stakeholders.
• Engage in sponsored research related project pertaining to harmonisation of laws and issues such as environmental justice, risk assessment and risk communication.

ELRI’s adopts a multi-disciplinary approach that involves the interplay of legal, technical and social science disciplines in response to the study of environmental protection and sustainable development.

ELRI’S Research Agenda in respect of Climate Change

• Many global issues are climate-related and thus may be affected by climate change.  These include food security, availability of water etc.
• While it is acknowledged that climate change is an inherently global issue, the impacts vary across our planet.  Some nations experience more adverse effects than others.  Some nations however, are benefiting from the fall out of the Climate Change.
• Poorer nations are more vulnerable as they tend to be more dependent on climate-sensitive sectors (subsistence agriculture) and may lack the resources to buffer themselves against the changes that global warming may bring.
• Strategies have been developed and continue to evolve to address these issues.
• For a country like Nigeria with serious challenges of resource management, high level of poverty and severe lack of capacity, there is an urgent need for the implementation of appropriate adaptation measures such as water conservation, urban tree planting, grain storage, wildlife migrating etc.
•  Regrettably, there are substantial limits and barriers to adaptation strategies.  These includes: economics, environmental, information, social, attitudinal and behavioral barriers that are not yet fully understood.
• ELRI’s research agenda is to provide solutions to the identified limits and barriers. Some of the questions currently being addressed are what is the current state of adaptation options? What are the goals of the different adaptation options? What factors affect their successful implementation?