Dr Yohan  Iddawela

Dr Yohan Iddawela

Visiting Fellow

Department of Geography and Environment

Connect with me

Languages
English
Key Expertise
Economic Geography, Geospatial Data Science, African Political Economy

About me

I am a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Geography and Environment and the Executive Director of 505 Economics.

My academic research and work with 505 Economics involves creating and analysing novel ESG datasets. I have previously worked on:

  • Creating an index of sub-national government quality across African regions
  • Developing new data cleaning methodologies to measure economic activity using high resolution satellite imagery
  • Creating geospatial datasets on spatial inequality, life expectancy and educational attainment

My research involves continuing to develop new geospatial datasets that can be used to measure and assess changes in social issues (e.g. inequality, and living standards), as well as government performance (e.g. local government corruption).

Outside of academia, I have previously launched a number of companies including 505 Economics, which aims to make academic research in spatial economics more accessible to people and organisations across the world. Since launching the company in 2019, we have partnered with the likes of the European Space Agency and McKinsey and Company to launch a range of new datasets that quantify the social elements of ESG.

I have also worked as an Economic Policy Adviser for the Australian Government and as an economist in the international development sector in Uganda, Afghanistan and Puerto Rico. I hold a PhD in Economic Geography from LSE. 

Research interests

Economic Geography,  Geographical Data Science, Spatial Economics, African Political Economy, Spatial Inequalities, Sub-National Institutions, Local Economic Development

Positions held, affiliations and memberships

Publication

 

Expertise Details

Economic Geography; Geographical Data Science; Spatial Economics; African Political Economy; Spatial Inequalities; Sub-National Institutions; Local Economic Development