THE USE OF VECTOR-BASED GIS BOOLEAN ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE TO DETERMINE THE BEST LOCATION FOR A MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILL SITE IN MAFRAQ GOVERNORATE/ JORDAN

The choice of location for a landfill site has a significant effect on the economy, ecology and overall environmental well-being, and is therefore a vital decision in the process of city planning. In Mafraq, the huge increases in population, as a result both of the arrival of significant numbers of Syrian refugees, as well as an increasing birth rate, has increased the pressure on the limited resources available, as well as emphasising the necessity of building a proper system of waste management, as well as a well-located landfill site. In relation to the latter, the aim is to position it so as to minimise any negative impact on either the environment or on public health. In terms of GIS, vector analysis tools and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) were applied to ascertain the best location for a landfill site. The aspects that were assessed in this research included slopes, roads, airport, wells, soil, faults, international borders, Wadis, and urban areas. The weighting given to each item was determined using the Boolean technique in terms of its importance to the location of a landfill site. The conclusions indicated that 18 sites in the area researched were potentially suitable for landfill sites, but that the Jordanian government had to undertake further work using the results of the GIS research to determine where the site should be located.