Remote Sensing for International Peace and Security: Its Role and Implications

Abstract

Remote sensing technology has seen a massive rise in popularity over the last two decades, becoming an integral part of our lives. Space-based satellite technologies facilitated access to the inaccessible terrains, helped humanitarian teams, support complex emergencies, and contributed to monitoring and verifying conflict zones. The scoping phase of this review investigated the utility of the role of remote sensing application to complement international peace and security activities owing to their ability to provide objective near real-time insights at the ground level. The first part of this review looks into the major research concepts and implementation of remote sensing-based techniques for international peace and security applications and presented a meta-analysis on how advanced sensor capabilities can support various aspects of peace and security. With key examples, we demonstrated how this technology assemblage enacts multiple versions of peace and security: for refugee relief operations, in armed conflicts monitoring, tracking acts of genocide, providing evidence in courts of law, and assessing contravention in human rights. The second part of this review anticipates future challenges that can hinder the applicative capabilities of remote sensing in peace and security. Varying types of sensors pose discrepancies in image classifications and issues like cost, resolution, and difficulty of ground-truth in conflict areas. With emerging technologies and sufficient secondary resources available, remote sensing plays a vital operational tool in conflict-affected areas by supporting an extensive diversity in public policy actions for peacekeeping processes.

The role of remote sensing during a global disaster: COVID-19 pandemic as case study

“… VHR imagery (Planet, xView) ( Chen et al, 2021 ; Minetto et al, 2021 ) Measure change in flying aircraft activity Sentinel 2 MSI Segundo et al (2021) Observe reduction in tourism activity around African Protected Areas VIIRS (VNP46A1) Anand & Kim (2021) Measure Crop status to predict impacts on food security MODIS Balwinder-Singh et al (2020) Estimate economic losses in the fishery sector. PlanetScope Avtar et al (2021) Supply meteorological data for epidemiological studies of environmental disease determinants Weather satellites ( Correa-Araneda et al, 2021 ; S. Gupta et al, 2020 ; Qi et al, 2020 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ) Supply air quality data for environmental disease determinants studies OMI, TROPOMI ( Copat et al, 2020 ; Filippini et al, 2020 ; Ogen, 2020 ) …”

“…Remote sensing imagery is considered a useful tool to inform decision-making in a variety of contexts ( King, 2003 ). The information derived from remote sensing imagery has been utilized in contexts like natural disaster response ( Fu-tao et al, 2011 ), informing international conflicts, border disputes and monitoring human rights violations ( Avtar et al, 2021 ), and improving food security through monitoring agricultural activities ( Brown, 2016 ). Spatial epidemiology also makes use of RS imagery in several ways ( Beck et al, 2000 ; Hay, 2000 ).…”

Assessment of military destruction in Ukraine and its consequences using remote sensing

“…Obtaining information in near real time provides an opportunity to develop rapid response measures in the provision of assistance and crisis management, as well as early warning systems to minimize civilian casualties in war zones [6].…”

Applying Concepts and Tools in Demography for Estimating, Analyzing, and Forecasting Forced Migration

“…Therefore, in the case of humanitarian emergencies such as natural disasters and wars, various alternative techniques such as aerial photography are introduced for rapid assessments of populations in need. In the past two decades, advancement in the field of Geographical Information Systems has contributed to a better understanding of forced migration (Avtar et al 2021). Recently earth observation comprising remotely sensed data and ground measurements have been applied to map and monitor refugee/internally displaced persons camps and their surroundings (Kemper and Heinzel 2014;Lang et al 2010Lang et al , 2020.…”