Role of Satellite Earth Observation Data in Monitoring and Verifying International Environmental Treaties

摘要

The term verification implies compliance verification in the language of treaty negotiation and implementation, particularly in the fields of disarmament and arms control. The term monitoring on the other hand, in both environmental arms control treaties, has a much broader interpretation which allows for use of supporting sources that are not necessarily acceptable or adequate for direct verification. There are many that satellite Earth observation (EO) data can support international environmental agreements, national forest inventories to use in geographic information system (GIS) tools. Though only a few references to satellite EO data and their use exist in treaties themselves, an expanding list of applications can be considered in support of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). This paper explores the current uses of satellite observation data which support monitoring activities of major environmental treaties and draws conclusions about future missions and their data use.