Hazardous Solid Waste Landfill Site Selection for İstanbul, Türkiye using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods and GIS Data

Abstract

The high toxicity of materials in disaster waste poses a significant risk to the environment, including the air, water, soil, and all living beings. One of the commonly used disposal methods for hazardous solid waste is landfilling. The selection of sites for hazardous solid waste disposal requires extreme care and attention to multiple factors from environmental, social, and economic points of view. Considering the anticipated earthquake in Istanbul and the city’s excessive population and urbanization, experts estimate that debris waste will be approximately 25 million tons. In this study, we propose a Geographic Information System (GIS) based fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach to select hazardous solid waste landfill (HSWL) locations within the scope of disaster waste management for Istanbul. First, the evaluation criteria were identified through a literature review and expert opinions. Next, criteria are prioritized using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). Then, GIS data for the criteria are gathered from multiple resources and entered into ArcGIS 10.8 for spatial analysis. Last, the suitability map of Istanbul for the HSWL construction is built. Considering five candidates, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is applied to select the most suitable locations for Asian and European sites in the city. Accordingly, Fevzipaşa/Silivri for the European side and Hasanlı/Şile for the Asian side were selected as the most suitable two options. Last, a sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the impact of the highest weight criterion on the final solution.