Ethical challenges in the practice of remote sensing
The below article discusses how geospatial products derived from remote sensing, especially satellite imagery, can bring significant benefits but also raise ethical challenges, particularly when they involve local communities and sensitive information. The use of these geotechnologies (such as satellite imagery, the Global Positioning System – GPS, and spatial models) is directly related to the work I have been developing within the LINCZ Project.
In this project, I use satellite imagery and other geospatial products to understand how landscapes have been transforming over the years in the districts of Binga, Mwenezi, and Gwanda, analyzing processes such as land use and land cover change, forest and soil degradation, and hydrological dynamics. These districts contain sensitive areas and communities, including sacred sites, which makes it even more important to reflect on how such data is used ethically.
Although much of this information, especially satellite imagery, is public and accessible to anyone, the challenge lies in how to employ it without exposing or compromising territories, cultural practices, and sensitive targets. Beyond the research itself, we strive to build this knowledge collaboratively: during fieldwork in July 2025, we conducted a theoretical and practical training with local partner organizations (Brethren in Christ Compassionate Development Services, Kulimambobumi Training Centre, and Score Against Poverty), focused on field data collection using GPS.
This experience enabled a valuable exchange: on one hand, I was able to share technical knowledge on how to collect accurate field data; on the other hand, I learned from the communities about the local landscape context, potential drivers behind the observed degradation processes, among other insights. This dialogue marked the beginning of a knowledge transfer process aimed at strengthening the autonomy of communities in the qualified collection of data about their own territories.
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