Landfill site selection using a novel FUCOM-CODAS model: A case study in Libya

Abstract

The random dumping of municipal solid waste and its scattering on the roads, the seashore, and in random spools which are not under the control of the authorities in terms of choosing its site or management is one of the most adverse forms of environmental pollution, especially, in developing countries. It impedes the application of the concepts of integrated waste management in a proper way since the site selection process is a very complicated procedure governed by multiple requirements and criteria. This study aimed at choosing the appropriate site for the municipal solid waste dumping for the City of Misurata. The city suffers from the presence of major environmental, social and economic problems caused by the current landfill, and the selection process that was carried out based on a set of internationally accepted standards and local conditions. The seven criteria used in this study include the most important environmental, economic, and social aspects that are in-line with the study area. The criteria ensures the selection of the best site from the five sites that are currently available through review and arbitration by a group of experts. By using the full consistency method (FUCOM), the criteria were arranged according to the weights estimated by the experts. The result of this procedure was that the surface water is the most essential criterion compared to the rest of the other criteria. This can be explained by knowing the nature of the study area that has recently suffered from scarcity and pollution in water resources, especially the surface and near the surface water in general. The people of the region depend on this source of water for their daily uses of irrigation, and watering of livestock. Subsequently, the proposed weighting method was integrated with the COmbined Distance-based ASsessment method (CODAS) to classify the five proposed landfill sites. It was found that site No. 2 is the best-proposed site for its features that contribute to environmental protection and public health. The site can also reduce negative impacts on its main elements, especially air and water, as well as the lowest costs for transportation and ease of access.

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