Solid hazardous waste dumping site selection using fuzzy‐AHP and multi-criteria approach: a case of Bahirdar city, Ethiopia

Abstract

Disposal is the ultimate step in waste management strategy and requires an adequate site to successfully control its consequences. Rapid urbanization and technological developments have been acknowledged as reasons for increased hazardous waste generation in urban settings. Prior waste management studies in Ethiopia have mostly concentrated on managing non-hazardous solid waste in general, leaving hazardous waste unconsidered. As the population grows, there is a growing demand for landfills to be located in a more organized manner. Choosing the ideal location for a new dump site is a challenging choice given the cost and difficulties of both the initial implementation and any necessary future changes. This study aims to determine the optimal hazardous waste landfill site for the rapidly growing Bahir Dar city, taking a range of alternative evaluation criteria into account. Determinant environmental, social, and economic factors for hazardous waste disposal site location were selected based on a literature review and expert interview. The factors were developed through remote sensing and conventional data and were standardized based on suitability rankings. A Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) was employed to determine the relative importance of each factor, as well as fuzzy logic for standardizing the Factors Map. Suitable landfill sites were determined through weighted spatial overlay analysis in a GIS environment. The results reveal that 2%, 6%, and 30% of the study area are considered extremely suitable, highly suitable, and moderately suitable landfill sites for hazardous waste disposal, respectively. In line with efforts being made to ensure the sustainable growth of Bahir City, this study would provide planners and stakeholders with important information regarding appropriate alternative sites for hazardous waste disposal in the future in Bahir Dar City.