Mr Matheesha Liyana Arachchige
Liyana Arachchige Matheesha Chamarra Amarasekara is a PhD researcher in Geography whose work lies at the intersection of geospatial science, environmental systems, and digital technologies. His doctoral research, titled "Data to Decisions: Designing a Digital Twin for Sustainable Agriculture," explores how integrated data infrastructures and simulation tools can support real-time, evidence-based decision-making in land-based systems.
With a strong foundation in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, and Information Technology, his research focuses on developing a functional Digital Twin prototype tailored for agricultural sustainability. The study leverages spatial datasets, climate and soil models, and API-driven platforms to create a virtual representation of agricultural systems. This representation supports scenario analysis, environmental forecasting, and farmer-level decision support.
Matheesha brings over a decade of professional experience in GIS development, remote sensing applications, and data systems engineering, with notable contributions such as developing national-scale geospatial tools for Cranfield University and designing performance monitoring systems for rural land management under the UK鈥檚 Rural Payments Agency.
His current research contributes to the advancement of Digital Twins in agriculture and environmental management, aiming to bridge data science and land-use policy through intelligent, dynamic system modeling. The work also emphasizes the incorporation of stakeholder perspectives鈥攑articularly those of farmers鈥攖o ensure usability and adoption of Digital Twin technologies in real-world rural contexts.