Approved by the Infrastructure and Research Policy Committee on May 28, 2025
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on June 18, 2025
Adopted by the Board of Direction on October 7, 2025

Policy

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports strong government and commercial remote sensing activities. Data from these activities provide critical information for monitoring and predicting natural events and other physical changes on the Earth. This critical information, in turn, is used to design and improve earth-based infrastructure. Government and commercial policies should:

  • Ensure access to publicly funded high-resolution Global Position Systems (GPS) data, communications, imagery, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and other useful data, free of direct user charges for peaceful civil uses.
  • Permit access to data at the lowest appropriate security classification.

Issue

Public and private collection and subsequent dissemination of critical information such as climate, weather, environment, and positions of objects on the Earth's surface, does not meet important scientific needs due to insufficient coordination, lack of standardization, and under-investment. These issues hamper the capability to optimize physical infrastructure needed for human health, safety, quality of life, natural environment, and economic development in accordance with the principles of sustainable and resilient development. Standards are needed for consistency in data collection and dissemination within and across jurisdictions and agencies.

Rationale

Remote sensing includes the collection of information from aerial and space-based platforms across a wide spectrum including but not limited to optical, radar, and infrared information, and Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR). Remote sensing can reveal large-scale patterns that are not otherwise apparent, demonstrate subtle changes in landforms over time, provide access to dangerous or difficult terrain, and provide efficiencies with respect to ground-based data collection.

Remotely sensed data address Earth's processes, including weather, climate, water distribution and land displacements, configuration of built systems, accurate geographical positioning, and physical changes over time. The information is especially critical in the monitoring and evaluation of large-scale environmental processes. When properly interpreted, remotely sensed data provide decision makers with rich information needed to make essential decisions.

Well-maintained infrastructure, including public works and utilities, is vital to human health, safety, quality of life, natural environment, and sustainable development. Planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of physical infrastructure requires accurate, detailed, and efficiently obtained data related to natural forces and events, and on the positions of manmade facilities and equipment. Agreements are needed between government agencies and industry to facilitate the development and maintenance of systems for collecting such data remotely, ensuring consistency and accuracy, and for making the resulting data available for the public benefit. 

This policy has worldwide application
ASCE Policy Statement 472
First Approved in 2002