Background Sea-level rise is one of the most prominent indicators of climate change, posing significant threats to coastal populations and ecosystems worldwide. The growing use of remote sensing has made it a primary method for monitoring global and regional sea-level trends, improving measurement accuracy, and advancing scientific understanding of climate-driven impacts. Nonetheless, existing research on remote sensing-based monitoring tends to be fragmented, with studies focusing on a single method or regions. Therefore, a comprehensive synthesis is necessary to assess the comparative effectiveness of available technologies. Methods This study conducts a systematic literature review following the PRISMA protocol to examine the use of remote sensing technology for monitoring sea-level rise. Fifteen credible journal articles retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, published between 2016 and 2025, were thematically evaluated to identify technological capabilities, methodology, and spatial coverage. Results Two principal findings emerged: (1) satellite altimetry is the most robust technology for measuring global mean sea level (GMSL) rise, providing continuous, high-accuracy records that link global warming and its effects on the oceans, as indicated by thermal increases and the melting of ice sheets, and (2) an integrated multi-sensor approach that combining satellite altimetry, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R), and tidal gauge data is crucial for separating climate change signals from local influences such as vertical land movement (VLM). Conclusion This study highlights the important role of remote sensing technology in sea-level monitoring, which not only provides a scientific basis for translating climate change data into coastal adaptation policies but also serves as an accurate, multi-level measurement tool that captures both global trends and local dynamics.
Pitaloka et al. (2026) studied this question.