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TTA Tae a oe Mr 
REMOTE SENSING INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT 
By 
Adigun Ade Abiodun 
Outer Space Affairs Division, United Nations, New York, N.Y. 10017 
INTRODUCTION 
The state of planet Earth is not static; it is ever-changing, both through natural and man- 
made causes, and on time scales ranging from seconds and hours to thousands and millions of 
years. From seasons to centuries, the ocean, the atmosphere and the bisophere function as an inte 
grated system. A current description of the state of planet Earth therefore depends on how well 
we understand the coupling, on a global scale, of these physical, chemical and biological processes. 
In addition to these natural processes, mankind is now disturbing the system by the introduction 
of chemicals into the atmosphere and the oceans through a variety of industrial activities. A glo- 
bal change whose magnitude and direction is completely unknown is taking place, . albeit it is 
happeñing under the watchful eyes ‘of scores of satellites orbiting the Earth, launched by the 
efforts of more than a dozen countries. The challenge faced by man today is how to use the data 
obtained from the satellites in such a unified manner to establish the trend of the changes. What 
is the real rate of global desertification, deforestation, soil erosion, etc. The growing population 
pressure on the Earth's dwindling resources is a challenge to man to find a new and better way of 
improving his knowledge and understanding of His environment. In the last two and a half deca- 
des, a response to this challenge has been a gradual evolution of remote sensing of the Earth from 
space, a technology which has introduced new dimensions into the collection and utilization of 
Earth resources data. 
Ri 
INCENTIVE FOR SPACE EXPLORATION 
For mankind in general and for the scientific community in particular, the justification for 
space exploration and utilization was rightly summarized by Socrates in 500 B.C. thus: : 
' "Man must rise above the Earth — to the top of the atmosphere and beyond — for only thus 
will he fully understand the world in which he lives.” eu 
This paper is an expression of the personal views of the author and in no way represents the 
opinions of the United Nations. 
As the International Geophysical Year was drawing to a close in 1958, a period that will 
always be remembered for encouraging states to get involved in space exploration, the Govern- 
ment of India, through a scientific policy resolution, ! sned a greater light into Socrates' views 
and declared: 
"|t is an inherent obligation of a great country like India with its traditions of scholarship 
and original thinking, andits great cu Itural heritage, to participate fully in the march of scien- 
ce which is probably mankind's greatest enterprise today." 
Since the launching of Sputnik | on 4 October 1957 by the USSR, things have never been the 
same. Space exploration and utilization has gradually evoived from a stage of mystique and Curio 
sity to one of international competition initially fueled by fear of domination but currently respon- 
ties. From that moment on, every nation 
ding to a variety of economic challenges and opportuni 
involved in space exploration has adduced one reason or another to justify its commitment to 
this effort. 
In April 1986, Australia stated that it was involved in space research and applications -“in 
order to assist in different areas of space science and technology and in the selection of the spec- 
tral bands that would be employed in future sat 
ellites so as to optimize their utilization in the 
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