A Geo Model for Landfill Site Selection Process

Abstract

A serious and growing potential problem in large urban areas is shortage of land for waste disposal. An inappropriate landfill site may have negative environmental, economic and ecological impacts, which can be mitigated through locating waste disposal sites in suitable places by conducting precise and transparent land filling site selection. Globally, different tools and techniques are used to select suitable and sustainable land filling sites. Yet in Sri Lanka, proper practical mechanism is not seen. This study investigates using geoinformatics as a solution for enhancing success of land filling site selection process. GIS provides infrastructure for spatial data processing and analysis. Especially in spatial modeling GIS vitally helps to integrate spatial data and generate information. Moreover, it makes handling and analyzing massive amount of geospatial related information easier. Ultimate objective was to develop a geo model, with reusable Model Builder for land filling site selection process which facilitates Multi criteria Decision analysis (MCDA) where several criteria for coming to conclusion for selecting suitable and sustainable waste disposal site are compared. Model Builder can simplify diverse and dynamic inputs for complex analysis functions. Users can change governing parameter for data set in Model Builder according to expert knowledge and preference. Model Builder application for waste disposal can be used for site selection process in country as a standard way, applying few artefact modifications. Research was conducted within inductive research paradigm. Initial geo model was developed for North Central Province, Sri Lanka. To select suitable and sustainable locations, several criteria i.e. land use type, access roads, residential area, stream lines and catchment areas were addressed. Mainly distances from various sources to location play a vital role in this selection. With parameters and data layers provided by user, Model Builder generates most suitable land areas in the North Central province with the informative map. Furthermore this geo-model enhances capability of making prior decisions.