Dr John Symons

John is an economist whose research includes environmental economics and economic analysis of investments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the health, education and road safety fields. Research partners include the WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, FIA Foundation and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

Current projects include modelling the investment case for interventions into preventing child marriage in low and middle income countries (UNFPA), rebuilding the education system in Syria (UNICEF), and modelling the economic benefits of treating vision loss in collaboration with the Fred Hollows Foundation.

John also works with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and FIA Foundation to establish the investment case for road safety interventions to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries for young people in Australia as well as low and middle income countries. This work has a focus on active transport and mobility issues specific to young people.

Recent environmental economics projects include research into potential markets for ecosystem goods and services and an IOT approach to increase plastic recycling witin the circular economy. Previous projects have included comprehensive analysis for multiple SDGs including 75 low and middle income countries as well as country specific studies in India and Burundi. Other work has included Green Infrastructure Valuation and Decision making for several councils in the Melbourne area, Economic analysis of green roofs and walls an economic geography of fire and flood risks for the Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre.