This research determines under what conditions, and for what
types of environmental treaties, satellite-based Earth
observation (EO) is useful for monitoring international
environmental agreements. The research extracts specific
monitoring requirements from nine multilateral environmental
agreements (MEAs) and explores how satellite EO data can be
used to support them. The technical characteristics of the
sensor systems and science data products associated with
current and planned EO satellites were analyzed and mapped to
the MEA requirements, providing a significant step toward
linking the EO community with the international treaty
community implementing these environmental agreements.

The research results include a listing and analysis of the positive
and negative factors that influence whether satellite EO data are
useful for monitoring and verifying MEAs, analysis of existing
international EO institutions, and a set of key findings describing
the conditions under which EO data are most useful to the
treaties. The use of EO data in various treaty phases is also
analyzed, drawing the conclusion that EO data are most useful
for monitoring and treaty refinement and not very useful for
compliance verification or enforcement. MEAs manage
compliance using governance structures that offer expertise and
resources to assist states that are reported to be in non-
compliance, rather than enforce compliance with sanctions or
other punishments. In addition, the temporal and spatial
resolution of the current and planned fleet of satellites does not
provide the required detail needed for MEA verification.
Identifying specific treaty implementation deficiencies requires
additional information that cannot be gathered from EO data;
on-site economic, social, and environmental conditions are
critical elements in assessing compliance verification. But for
environmental monitoring and assessments, MEA effectiveness
reviews, and national reporting required for each MEA, EO data
are very useful. They provide information that conveys
environmental changes in a visually compelling way and adds a
dimension of understanding that cannot be captured otherwise.
In addition, EO data will continue to bring awareness to
environmental problems that need international attention. As
EO data become more prevalent, they will have significant
impact on public awareness, which in turn will continue to
catalyze international action on both national and international
levels.