Developing a GIS-based landfill site suitability map for the Aksaray province, Turkey

One of the most challenging tasks faced by many cities in implementing a solid waste management program is the selection of new landfills. Ideal landfill sites should have minimal impact on the environment and economy. This study presents an alternative method, in which the modified Analytical Hierarchy Process was applied with Geographic Information Systems to determine the most suitable landfill sites and thoroughly investigated the landfill site suitability map process, taking into consideration the economic criteria, such as slope and distance to roads, as well as environmental factors, including land use/land cover, geology/hydrogeology, distance to residential areas, distance to surface water and distance to protected areas, Aksaray province in central Anatolia of Turkey. According to the results of the study, environmental factors (W: 0.869769) were determined to be more important than economic factors (W: 0.130230). Eight percent of the study area was not suitable, 20% was lowly suitable, 14% was moderately suitable, 51% was suitable and 7% was highly suitable for landfill construction. Among the highly suitable areas, two alternative locations were identified in the southern part of the province of Aksaray. The first alternative (Alternative-I) has an area of ⁓184 km2 and ~ 35 km away from the Aksaray city center, while the second alternative (Alternative-II) has an area of 3133 km2, and ~ 65 km away from the city center. Both alternative areas are suitable within 30 years of waste storage period. The findings obtained from the study serve as a guide in the selection of landfills.