Stage

M2 Internship : Evaluating and improving the potential of the RiverPulse indicator to assess the ecological health status of a river

Stage - 3 > 6 mois - Début : Janvier
Date limite de réponse : 24 octobre 2025
Missions :
In 2025, IAGF (“Initiative pour l’avenir des grands fleuves”) launched RiverPulse, a tool for assessing the overall health of rivers. It is based on environmental, economic, political, and socio-cultural indicators. Its goal is to raise awareness and alert local stakeholders to the condition of their rivers, giving a voice to riverside communities. It also serves to plan and monitor concrete actions to improve or preserve rivers. In the long term, it aims to establish a global map of the condition of rivers.

In this study, the student will apply a tool named RiverPulse, developed by the IAGF, to diagnose the ecological status of a section of the Rhône River.
  • Specifically, the student will assess the relevance of the RiverPulse method in capturing the biodiversity and ecosystem health of the selected river segment, and will suggest improvements and readjustments of the method upon needs.
  • The performance of the RiverPulse method will be assessed by comparing them with a diverse set of biodiversity metrics and indicators, drawn from the scientific literature and/or derived from data generated by ongoing research programs and/or available in public databases. These indicators and metrics will ideally cover multiple dimensions of biodiversity and of ecosystem functioning.
  • The ultimate objective is to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of the RiverPulse method in translating the ecological condition of a river into a format that is clear, accessible, and readily understandable for decision-makers. Depending on the results, the student will have to draw recommendations to further improve the RiverPulse methodology. 
6 months research internship
PROFIL RECHERCHÉ

Niveau d'étude requis :

Bac + 4

Formations requises :

A Master's 2 candidate with solid knowledge and a strong interest in water sciences, environmental ecology and/or policy/science interface.


Compétences requises :

He or she must also have good bibliographic research skills. A willingness to communicate in English is required.