Barriers to the use of remote sensing in providing environmental information

Remote sensing from aircraft and earth-observing satellites is an essential source of environmental information and, at regional and global scales, remote sensing from satellites is often the only way in which some information can be collected. Naturally there are technical limitations, such as low resolution and the inability of optical sensors to see through clouds that restrict the use of satellite data, but technology is moving rapidly and major advances can be expected during the current decade, especially from radar satellites.The main barriers to the use of environmental information provided by remote sensing are not technological, but include cost and a need for training and transfer of technology, and a requirement for users to depart from traditional methods where new technology offers distinct advantages. Perhaps the most important contributions that users of remote sensing data can make to breaking down the barriers to the use of environmental data is to provide very clear statements of their information requirements so that technology can develop to meet these requirements.