Dr Andrea Arratia-Solar is an economic geographer with experience across different countries and organisations. She brings over a decade of work at the intersection of spatial analysis, resource development, and socio-economic research, with a strong focus on the extractive industries, resource governance, and evidence-based decision-making. Andrea holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, graduate studies in Natural Resources Management and Operational Research at The Pennsylvania State University, and a PhD from The University of Queensland, Australia. Andrea’s background combines technical skills in spatial analysis and a solid understanding of the operational and regional dynamics of the mining sector.
Andrea has worked closely with industry and policy stakeholders through initiatives such as the Social Aspects of Mine Closure Consortium and the Baseline Works for Mine Rehabilitation and Closure, commissioned by the Queensland Resources Council and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). She has worked on post-mining transition planning and the spatial and socio-economic dynamics of mining regions, integrating spatial analysis, regional economic data, and stakeholder engagement to support strategic planning around mining development and long-term regional outcomes. She has also contributed to projects focused on development-induced displacement and resettlement (DIDR) associated with extractive projects. Beyond the socio-economic dimensions of extractive industries, her research also extends to the broader energy transition and its regional implications. She has been involved in projects examining emerging low-emission energy options, such as biogas and hydrogen, with a particular focus on social acceptance, governance and community perceptions.
Currently, Andrea is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, working on an ARC Discovery Project examining the benefits and impacts of copper extraction across Australia, Chile, and Zambia. In this role, she leads data collection in Chile and Australia and conducts spatial analysis examining mining regions, resource development patterns, and regional economic dynamics, strengthening our understanding of global mineral supply chains and the growing strategic importance of critical minerals.
Andrea is Editorial Manager at Resources Policy and has published in different multidisciplinary journals, including two comment articles in Nature.