A Systematic Review of the Latest Research Trends on the Use of Satellite Imagery in Solid Waste Disposal Applications from 2012 to 2021

Abstract

There is currently no review article on the role of remote sensing (RS) tools on waste disposal site (WDS) applications. Permanent waste disposal is the world’s most commonly used solid waste management method, and a specific review is warranted. To investigate research trends and to identify knowledge gaps on the use of satellite-based RS in WDS applications, 170 studies published over the last decade, from 2012 to 2021, were examined and classified using a bibliometric approach. Results are discussed with respect to relevancy, satellite types, study origins, RS analytical methods, and applications. Out of 72 short-listed studies, 44.4% were carried out in Asia, followed by Europe with 18.0%. Asia is also a leading region in the use of multiple satellite products. Only two satellite products were utilized in African studies. The absence of local satellites could potentially be the reason behind the sole use of global satellite imagery. Globally, Landsat contributed 70.8% of the total studies. Sentinel products represented only 8.3%. About 44% of the studies used various RS indices when addressing WDS-related issues. The majority of studies (56%) applied image classification methods to study changes in land use and land cover. The temporal trend reveals a general increase in the total number of studies, particularly for suitable site detection and disposal-site-induced anomaly detection. This review directly addresses the knowledge management aspect of data-driven solid waste management.