SITE SUITABILITY ANALYSIS FOR WASTE DISPOSAL USING GIS AND RS: A CASE STUDY OF BLANTYRE CITY, MALAWI

In the face of rising population and urbanization, several countries are striving to build proper waste management systems. A solid waste management system is required for urban solid waste management, and the presence of a sanitary landfill is essential. Finding adequate places for a sanitary landfill is one of the most critical issues. The major goal of this study was to use Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System techniques to find suitable solid waste disposal locations in Blantyre, Malawi, that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable. Slope, road network, river, landuse/land-cover, faults, and soil maps were used in this study. The weights of factor parameters were calculated using the Analytical Hierarchy Process pair-wise comparison model. Overlay analyses were used to create a suitability map that was categorized as extremely suited, suitable, moderately acceptable, less appropriate, and unsuitable. According to the findings, 5.93 percent of the study area is extremely ideal for solid waste dumping in Blantyre city, 6.5 percent is suitable, 3.23 percent is moderately acceptable, 1.02 percent is less suitable, and 83.32 percent is unsuitable. Field observations further confirmed the acceptability of the selected sites, indicating that this method can be utilized to choose garbage dumping locations in urban settings. To reduce environmental risk and human health issues, certain areas are considered ideal for landfilling.

The major goal of this study was to use Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System techniques to find suitable solid waste disposal locations in Blantyre, Malawi, that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable. Overlay analyses were used to create a suitability map that was categorized as extremely suited, suitable, moderately acceptable, less appropriate, and unsuitable. According to the findings, 5.93 percent of the study area is extremely ideal for solid waste dumping in Blantyre city, 6.5 percent is suitable, 3.23 percent is moderately acceptable, 1.02 percent is less suitable, and 83.32 percent is unsuitable. Field observations further confirmed the acceptability of the selected sites, indicating that this method can be utilized to choose garbage dumping locations in urban settings.

The field of research is Blantyre city, which is nestled in the shire highlands in the country's south. The tropical climate is moderated by Blantyre's elevation of 3409 feet (1039 meters). It has three seasons: a wet season (December to March), a cold season (April to August), and a hot season (September to November) (September to November). Blantyre is Malawi's commercial center, with a population of 661,256 people, 336,234 men and 325,002 women.

Traditional authority: Blantyre City

District: Blantyre

Coordinates: -15.7955, 35.04405