Identifying and Ranking Landfill Sites for Municipal Solid Waste Management: An Integrated Remote Sensing and GIS Approach

Abstract

Disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the significant global issues that is more evident in developing nations. One of the key methods for disposing of the MSW is locating, assessing, and planning for landfill sites. Faisalabad is one of the largest industrial cities in Pakistan. It has many sustainability challenges and planning problems, including MSW management. This study uses Faisalabad as a case study area and humbly attempts to provide a framework for identifying and ranking landfill sites and addressing MSW concerns in Faisalabad. This method can be extended and applied to similar industrial cities. The landfill sites were identified using remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS). Multiple datasets, including normalized difference vegetation, water, and built-up areas indices (NDVI, NDWI, and NDBI) and physical factors including water bodies, roads, and the population that influence the landfill site selection were used to identify, rank, and select the most suitable site. The target area was distributed into 9 Thiessen polygons and ranked based on their favorability for the development and expansion of landfill sites. 70% of the area was favorable for developing and expanding landfill sites, whereas 30% was deemed unsuitable. Polygon 6, having more vegetation, a smaller population, and built-up areas was declared the best region for developing landfill sites and expansion as per rank mean indices and standard deviation (SD) of RS and vector data. The current study provides a reliable integrated mechanism based on GIS and RS that can be implemented in similar study areas and expanded to other developing countries. Accordingly, urban planning and city management can be improved, and MSW can be managed with dexterity.

Evaluation of Landfill Site Suitability Using GIS, Remote Sensing, and the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (AHP) Approach, Ethiopia

“…exclude those locations from the study's nal map that are not appropriate for land ll siting. (7). deciding on an appropriateness index to use with land ll candidate locations.…”

“…Therefore, in order to avoid the undesirable adverse effects of the land ll on the environment; it should be selected as the proper land ll site. Consequently, careful consideration of siting criteria (constraints and regulations) set up by environmental agencies or local authorities should be employed for a suitable land ll site (Al-hanbali et al, 2011;Aslam et al, 2022;Liu et al, 2022).…”

Geographical Distribution of Landfills in the Outskirts of Baghdad Governorate using the GIS

“…In order to assist municipal decision-makers in evaluating, locating, and creating a digital map of the best suitable sites for the establishment of a healthy landfill, researchers used geographic information system purification [1] and remote sensing technology. Three sites were identified as a result of the study; one was chosen as a location for collection and sorting, while the other two were preferred for their ownership and proximity to wells [5].…”

Location of a municipal solid waste landfill using COCOSO, MAIRCA, MARCOS, and geographic information system (case study: Yazd)

“…According to the forecasts of the World Bank, by 2050, the production of MSW in the world will reach 3.4 billion tons. About 70% of MSW is left in landfills, while 19% is only recycled and 11% is used for energy production (Aslam et al, 2022). MSW disposal is a pressing and widespread problem in urban and rural areas in many developed and developing countries.…”

“…According to the study results of the study area, 35.61% of the area was classified as very less suitable for waste disposal, 32.64% as slightly suitable, 19.3% as moderate, 8.90% as suitable, and 3.48% as very suitable. In a study, Aslam et al (2022) attempted to provide a framework for identifying and classifying landfills in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The landfills were identified using remote sensing and GIS.…”