GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation for landfill site selection in Kokand City and adjacent districts
Annotatsiya
The study presents a comprehensive GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) approach for identifying optimal landfill sites in Kokand City and its adjacent districts, Uzbekistan. Rapid urbanization and population growth have exacerbated waste management challenges in the region, necessitating scientifically sound solutions for sustainable landfill placement. The research integrates geospatial analysis with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assess environmental, economic, and social constraints, ensuring minimal ecological impact while maximizing operational efficiency. Eight key criteria were evaluated: distance from roads (300 m buffer), railways (300 m), water bodies (500 m), settlements (500 m), airports (5 km), agricultural lands (300 m), slope (< 6°), and elevation (< 500 m). Using ArcGIS 10.8, constraint maps were generated, revealing that 99.8 % of the study area is unsuitable due to regulatory restrictions. Only three sites (A—95 ha, B—38 ha, E—62 ha) met all safety requirements. AHP-weighted rankings prioritized airport proximity (31.6 %) and settlement distance (17.2 %) as critical factors, while slope (5.9 %) and elevation (4.9 %) had lesser influence. The consistency ratio (CR = 0.03) validated the reliability of the pairwise comparisons. This study underscores the efficacy of GIS-MCE in landfill siting, offering a replicable framework for regions facing similar waste management crises. The authors recommend future research incorporating groundwater depth and soil permeability to further refine site suitability. The findings provide actionable insights for policy-makers, promoting environmentally responsible urban planning in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).