Use of geographic information systems to choose the safest burial sites of hazardous waste in Medinah

Abstract

This Study aims at utilizing GIS as a technique to assess the location of the burial-General، to choose the new sites and to determine the viability of the territory of the Medina to establish a landfill of hazardous wastes and to produce a digital map of the best and safe burial sites relying on a set of standards developed based on the principles of the Basel Convention's global select design and operation of landfills hazardous wastes، in the severe drought areas. By using the available data of the study area and the technology tools of GIS and remote sensing، the required standards were set out. They were converted them into maps representing the most important criteria of geological and geomorphology, social, economic and environmental considerations and standards of public acceptance that have been processed using the tools of spatial analysis and statistical base. A digital database has hence become available allowing a cartography suitability model to be introduced، optimal locations for the safe landfill of hazardous wastes to be identified. The study concluded that only 2% of the Medinah lands is optimal for future landfills of hazardous wastes according to standards of Basel World. By using Cartographic model، the study concluded that there are three sites suitable for safe landfill of hazardous waste, enabling responsible bodies to formulate engineering guidelines that would allow the burial processes to take place without inflicting damages to environmental، natural or human resources in the area.