Maïlys Genouel, a ENS de Lyon former doctoral student in the Environment, City, Society (EVS) laboratory, received the RIODD Award for her dissertation titled “(Re)connaître et vivre avec les pollutions causées par les inondations urbaines en France et au Québec” (“(Re)cognizing and Living with Pollution Caused by Urban Flooding in France and Quebec”) Thumbnail: Photograph taken by a flood victim in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges after the 2018 floods, showing small pieces of floating debris © All rights reserved
Congratulations to Maïlys Genouel! A former doctoral student at the École normale supérieure de Lyon, where she prepared and defended her dissertation at the Environment, City, Society (EVS) laboratory, she received the RIODD—International Research Network on Organizations and Sustainable Development—dissertation award on October 20, 2026. This award recognizes her dissertation entitled: “(Re)cognizing and Living with Pollution Caused by Urban Flooding in France and Quebec.”
Numerous interviews and international collaboration with the RIISQ teams in Quebec
“This award is an opportunity to highlight my work on current issues—namely pollution and flooding—as well as the relationships I’ve built over these four years of doctoral research,” says Maïlys Genouel. “I am very grateful to all the professionals who placed their trust in me during interviews and to all the disaster victims who opened their homes to me. This award also recognizes an international collaboration with the RIISQ [Inter-Sectoral Flood Network] teams in Quebec. Finally, it highlights the quality of the guidance I received from Emeline Comby and Yves-François Le Lay, as well as the depth of the discussions—both theoretical and methodological—that took place over coffee, at conferences, and during meetings with my colleagues at the EVS laboratory and ENS de Lyon. Thanks to this award, I am joining a new, interdisciplinary, and particularly stimulating network, as I was able to experience firsthand at the University of Reims from October 19 to 21, 2026, during the 21st RIODD Congress. I would like to once again thank the members of the jury for this award.”
Contributing to the understanding of sustainable development issues
Established in 2007, the RIODD Thesis Award recognizes research that contributes to the understanding of sustainable development issues, social responsibility, and the relationship between businesses and society. It aims to promote the work of young researchers within academic, professional, and nonprofit circles, while supporting their entry into the workforce. Winners are invited to present their research at the RIODD annual conference and, potentially, at an event organized in collaboration with its partner, Groupama AM.
A post-doc and several upcoming events
Looking ahead, Maïlys Genouel already has a full schedule: “From December 16 to 18, 2026, during the 2nd CNFG meeting in Aubervilliers, I’ll be co-facilitating a session with Clément Dillenseger—winner of the 2025 RIODD thesis award and also a PhD graduate of ENS de Lyon—on the limits of urban planning in the face of the fluid nature of toxic materials,” she explains. “In this way, I’m continuing my research in the field of discard studies. In addition, I am a member of the organizing committee for the 4th edition of the Doctoriales de Rudologie, which will take place at ENS de Lyon on June 7 and 8, 2027, alongside Camille Oullès, a doctoral student at ENS de Lyon. While serving as a junior lecturer (ATER) at the University of Southern Brittany within the Géoarchitecture laboratory, I am currently affiliated with the TRACES Chair (transitions and residues). I am collaborating with Nelly Leblond on post-disaster waste management in Occitanie. In June 2027, I will begin a postdoc with her as part of the ANR HYDROCLIMAT-OC project led by Sara Fernandez at INRAE in Toulouse.”