SITING OF A CENTRAL HEALTHCARE WASTE INCINERATOR USING GIS-BASED MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS This study looks into the problem of poor healthcare waste management in Kenya. Most healthcare facilities lack enforcement of existing legislation for handling, and disposal of health care waste, an issue exacerbated by the fact that regulating bodies lack a systemized oversight plan of ensuring compliance. Improper treatment or disposal of healthcare waste such as openair burning can constitute a significant source of pollution to the environment and a health hazard through the release of substances such as dioxins, furans and mercury. In as much as it is recognized that healthcare facilities lack a commitment to properly handle their waste, one cannot ignore the fact that lack of funds is a major cause for this situation. Regardless of the obstacles present, safe management of healthcare waste is indispensable. This thesis suggests setting up a centralized modern waste incinerator will facilitate in overcoming the problems outlined above. This thesis integrates Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis methods to analyse and evaluate potential sites in the Kilifi County of the Kenyan Coast province. The study identified eight potential sites from a spatial analysis. These sites were then analysed using AHP, VIKOR and PROMETHEE. The results obtained were consistent across all three methods and the best site was found to be near the major town of Malindi.
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