Li Deren and Li Xi
（State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Information Engineering, Wuhan University）
Abstract: Night-time light remote sensing means the satellite sensor acquires the city light, boat light and flaring gas at cloud-free night. As most of the visible lights at night are strongly related to human activities, the night-time light remote sensing is efficient in acquiring socioeconomic development dynamics and assessing the macro problems from the development. From the perspectives of monitoring disasters, the remote sensing technique can help to promote socioeconomic development. This paper introduced how the night-time light remote sensing played an important role in issues of regional development assessment, light pollution investigation and environmental evaluation so that it can help to evaluate and support quality of socioeconomic development. Considering the Belt and Road (B&R) strategy, the paper briefly analyzed the night-time light dynamics of the B&R region during the last 20 years and therefore found some patterns of this regional development. For the future construction of B&R, night-time light remote sensing can provide scientific information for China’s investment and diplomatic policy, to support B&R construction quality.
Key Words: Night-time Light Remote Sensing； Socioeconomic Development； Regional Development； One Belt and One Road