A Secure Blockchain-Assisted Framework for Real-Time Maritime Environmental Compliance Monitoring
William C. Quigley, Mohamed Rahouti, Gary M. Weiss
TL;DR
The paper tackles MARPOL compliance challenges, notably data fabrication and uneven inspections, by proposing a secure framework that fuses shipboard IoT sensors with a Polygon PoS blockchain and smart contracts for real-time, tamper-resistant regulatory enforcement. It formalizes data integrity through $h_{k,i} = H(d_{k,i})$ and a cross-sensor validation pipeline, then uses a PoS consensus to append compliant and non-compliant records with automated notifications. A sulfur-emission proof-of-concept demonstrates scalability and security benefits, supported by an evaluation on Polygon Amoy testnet with deployment-cost estimates and throughput metrics. The approach offers a scalable, cost-effective way to enhance maritime environmental protection and regulatory adherence through automated, multi-stakeholder governance.
Abstract
The maritime industry is governed by stringent environmental regulations, most notably the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). Ensuring compliance with these regulations is difficult due to low inspection rates and the risk of data fabrication. To address these issues, this paper proposes a secure blockchain-assisted framework for real-time maritime environmental compliance monitoring. By integrating IoT and shipboard sensors with blockchain technology, the framework ensures immutable and transparent record-keeping of environmental data. Smart contracts automate compliance verification and notify relevant authorities in case of non-compliance. A proof-of-concept case study on sulfur emissions demonstrates the framework's efficacy in enhancing MARPOL enforcement through real-time data integrity and regulatory adherence. The proposed system leverages the Polygon blockchain for scalability and efficiency, providing a robust solution for maritime environmental protection. The evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed blockchain-enhanced compliance monitoring system effectively and securely ensures real-time regulatory adherence with high scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, leveraging the robust capabilities of the Polygon blockchain.