### Definitions-Brief Description of Current and Future Capacities  
\"Remote sensing may be broadly defined as the collection of information about an object without being in physical contact with the object. Aircraft and satellites are the common platforms from which remote sensing observations are made. The term remote sensing is restricted to methods that employ electromagnetic energy as the means of detecting and measuring target characteristics\" ([PERSON], 1978). Remote sensing systems are based on signals and images acquired by sensors installed on artificial satellites or aircraft and are used for vast geographical phenomena ([PERSON] et al., 2013). The advancement of satellite technologies and unmanned aerial vehicles has been remarkable last decades. The technological development of satellite technologies on one hand has led to on-demand satellite constellations, which deliver high resolution data (0.75 m) with a daily revisit interval anywhere around the globe. In addition to the high resolution, they can acquire a sequence of images with a small time interval (video persistent mode) due to their unique rapid sensor depointing agility ([PERSON] et al., 2019). Furthermore, as more countries gain their own Earth observation capability, commercialization is a common theme ([PERSON] and [PERSON], 2021). On the other hand, unmanned aerial vehicles or \"drones\", although initially used almost exclusively for military applications, it is now to mention their rapid development for civil applications, and it has even been said that \"we are entering the drone age\" ([PERSON], 2012). The surveillance capabilities of drones are rapidly advancing and cheap storage is now available3. The capabilities of drones depend on what they are able to carry. Due to the growing commercialization of drones, commercial UAV manufacturers will increasingly improve their products following the needs of their clients. Additionally, a service sector will evolve to offer UAV services such as leased systems, on-demand flights, or consultation for choosing appropriate platforms or analyzing UAV-generated data ([PERSON] et al., 2012). Footnote 3: Drones and Environmental Monitoring, 2017. Environmental Law Institute, Washington, DC, USA. To sum up, the future of remote sensing technologies can be described into three words: development, privatization, commercialization. Applications of Remote Sensing Technologies in Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Law Enforcement  
Remote sensing is used in numerous fields for environmental purposes. Remote sensing has provided the means for detecting and quantifying the rates of pollution, as well as for mapping and monitoring sources of pollution and the degree of remediation for their management. It has the means to respond and facilitate environmental management, and makes sound and evidence-based decisions in relation to Earth's resources at a global scale and across different continents, nations, and domains ([PERSON] et al., 2021). Such a collection of environmental monitoring data through remote sensing technologies is undoubtedly essential for the effective decision making of environmental authorities. Simultaneously, the most important applications of remote sensing technologies in environmental law enforcement consist of their use from public authorities for their work (duty) known as \"environmental compliance assurance\". Environmental compliance assurance describes all the ways in which public authorities promote, monitor and enforce compliance with environmental law. Through the Copernicus program and the relevant EU action plan, the EU Commission promotes the use of satellite images and other geospatial data resources to detect illegal disposal of waste, illegal land use and other breaches4.