Selecting the Best Sites for Landfills in the Greater Tripoli Area Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

By: Salem Mahmoud , Akram Al-Kasih , Sihem Hussein , Anas Al-Mashri

Libyan Center for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences

Issue: Vol 24 |First Issue, 2025 | 2025

article language: Arabic

Abstract:

Methods of disposing of household solid waste in the area of the city of Tripoli are considered one of the permanent environmental challenges, especially since the area has witnessed dramatic demographic growth and rapid expansion of residential areas and their random extensions in recent years, which results in an increase in the amount of daily household waste and results in negative environmental impacts. In order to optimally manage the issue and reduce the worsening problems of waste accumulation, poor management, and protect the environment, scientific research and studies should have been carried out. These studies rely on modern technologies with effective analysis tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to evaluate and monitor the effect of household waste on soil, air, and water pollution. The sciences of Remote Sensing (RS) and GIS programs play an essential role in planning and management, as geospatial techniques support decision-makers with all the information data, spatial analysis, and maps with less time and effort, in order to propose sustainable development projects and suitable urban planning to solve environmental and economic problems within societies. The paper aims to clarify the importance of the use of GIS techniques in solid waste management and to help decision-makers select the proper site for sanitary landfills within the study area. The spatial analysis tools in GIS ArcGIS 10.8 program have been used to select the best suitable sites for establishing waste dumping areas. The locations are linked to several environmental, economic, hydrologic, and topographic aspects, such as distance from lakes and valleys, distance from the main road, and the level of the underground water, along with other factors and standards adopted in the international Basel Convention on site selection, design, and operation of solid waste landfills.

Keywords: waste, geographic information system (GIS), landfill, pollution