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Author	Mr Shivam Tripathi
Organisation/Institution	Jawaharlal Nehru University
Country	INDIA
Panel	Space Law and the Low-Altitude Economy
Title	Orbital Eyes, Regional Rules: A Proposal for an Asian Compact on Space-Based Disaster Data Sharing
Abstract	Asia now relies heavily on satellites for climate monitoring and disaster response, yet legal rules for sharing and governing that data are fragmented and unclear. Satellites operated by national agencies are routinely used for flood mapping, crop and smoke monitoring, glacier observation and emergency response. Major Asian space programmes including India’s radar and earth-observation missions, China’s Gaofen series, and Japan’s QZSS constellation provide powerful technical capacity but follow different policies on access, resolution and commercialisation of data. Mechanisms already encourage sharing during crises, but procedural guidelines remain voluntary, unevenly implemented, and do not resolve questions of data ownership, privacy, pricing or priority access for vulnerable states. This paper sets out a clear, practicable pathway for an “Asian Compact on Space-Based Environmental Data Sharing.” First, it maps current state practice across selected Asian programmes to identify recurring regulatory gaps. Second, using the UN principles on remote sensing and the Outer Space Treaty as baseline obligations, it translates those norms into operational rules for: (a) tiered access to high-resolution imagery for disaster response; (b) privacy and ethical limits on environmental surveillance; (c) cost-sharing and technical assistance for lower-capacity states; and (d) an expedited protocol for emergency data release. The Compact is designed to be modular enabling bilateral or plurilateral adoption and to balance state sovereignty, commercial interests and humanitarian need. By grounding regional cooperation in concrete, legally informed procedures, Asia can both protect its climate-vulnerable communities and contribute a model for responsible, justice-centred space governance.
Biography	I am a doctoral candidate in Centre for International Legal Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, with a research focus on Space Law. I hold an LL.M. in International and Business Law from Dharmashastra National Law University and a B.B.A.-LL.B. (Hons.) in Intellectual Property Rights from ICFAI University, Dehradun. My academic work is enriched by internships at the International Law Group (New Delhi), ITAG Business Solutions (Kolkata), and the Social Cultural Development Centre (Bhubaneshwar), along with certifications in Space Law, Copyright, Blockchain Regulation, and the US Legal System from institutions such as WIPO, UNITAR, WHO, and Nirma University. I have published on diverse legal themes including intellectual property, digital governance, media law, and environmental policy with notable contributions like Collateralizing Intellectual Property and Navigating Peripheries of Media. I have also engaged in academic community roles, including service on the Bar Council of India Moot Court Committee and as a Campus Ambassador for Our Legal World. My professional and research interests centre on the nexus of law, technology, and sustainability, with particular emphasis on space law, climate governance, and digital rights.