Using GIS-Based Weighted Linear Combination Analysis and Remote Sensing Techniques to Select Optimum Solid Waste Disposal Sites within Mafraq City, Jordan

Landfill siting was determined within Mafraq City, Jordan, through the integration of geographic information system (GIS), weighted linear combination (WLC) analysis, and remote sensing techniques. Several parameters were collected from various sources in vector and raster GIS formats, and then, used within the GIS-based WLC analysis to select optimum solid waste disposal sites. Namely, urban areas, agricultural lands, access roads, surface aquifers, groundwater table, fault system, water wells, streams, and land slope were considered in this research. Also, the trend of urban expansion within the study area was monitored using the Landsat data of 1989, 1999, and 2009 to support the selection process of disposal sites. It is found that about 84% of the study area was within “most suitable” to “moderately suitable” classes for landfill sites, while the rest of the study area was within “poorly suitable” and “unsuitable” classes. Based on the analysis of Landsat satellite data the urban area was expanded of more than 240% during the last three decades, mainly toward south, and southwest, except the villages near the existing disposal site, where the trend was toward east and northeast. Finally, three sites were suggested as alternatives to the existing disposal site taking into the consideration the environmental, biophysical, and economical variables applied in the GIS-based WLC analysis.