IRL 3189 ESS

The International Research Laboratory Environment, Health and Societies (IRL 3189 ESS) is an interdisciplinary research centre established in 2009 on the initiative of France’s CNRS. Based in West Africa, it was the first international research unit founded in sub-Saharan Africa at CNRS’s initiative. The laboratory fosters scientific cooperation across regional and national boundaries, connecting researchers from the Global South and North through the exchange of knowledge, methods and research tools.

Its work brings together the social sciences and humanities, environmental sciences, and biological and medical sciences to examine major health, social and ecological challenges in West Africa. Rather than offering commercial products, IRL ESS supports research and academic collaboration through international projects, scientific events, doctoral workshops and seminars, publications, and observatories that link research with public action and local stakeholders. Its activities address topics including environmental health, biodiversity, social justice, public health, and the Great Green Wall.

The laboratory also develops partnerships with universities and research networks, helping strengthen interdisciplinary inquiry, researcher training, and the practical contribution of research to society