Landfill site selection using spatial information technologies and AHP: a case study in Beijing, China

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Geographic Information Systems

Background:

• Effective solid waste management is critical for rapidly growing urban areas.
• Selecting appropriate landfill sites involves complex decision-making with multiple criteria.
• Existing methods may not adequately address the spatial and economic factors in developing regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a robust methodology for solid waste landfill site selection in Beijing, China.
• To integrate economic factors and spatial analysis for optimal site identification.
• To provide a decision-support tool for waste management in developing countries.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to determine criteria weights.
• Employed a geographic information system (GIS) for spatial data manipulation and suitability mapping.
• Developed a hierarchy model incorporating economic and spatial criteria for site evaluation.

Main Results:

• Candidate landfill sites were evaluated and categorized into 'best', 'good', and 'unsuitable' areas.
• Suitability maps were generated using spatial information technologies, graded from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).
• The methodology successfully identified optimal and backup landfill sites based on weighted criteria.

Conclusions:

• The proposed AHP-GIS integrated methodology offers an effective approach for solid waste landfill site selection.
• This approach provides essential support for decision-makers in managing waste in rapidly developing cities.
• The study demonstrates a practical framework applicable to waste management challenges in developing countries.