Waste Management Future Planning in Iraq's Middle Euphrates Region through GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making for Optimal Landfill Siting

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran

2 Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq

Abstract

The Middle Euphrates region comprises four provinces: Najaf, Babylon, Karbala, and Qadisiya. These Iraq's central region provinces severely suffer from poor solid waste collection and disposal systems. There is no landfill site that meets the environmental standards, and this has led to several open dumping practices all around the region which negatively impacted public and environmental health. The lack of national strategies and properly designed landfill sites necessitated urgent action to implement a sustainable waste disposal method. This study tackles this problem by finding some safe locations for sanitary landfill employing a combination of MCDM and GIS techniques. Selecting a landfill site involves many criteria and restrictions, making it a challenging process. So, a range of factors, including sixteen criteria, were determined and weighted using AHP and SRS methods. A suitability index map for potential landfill sites was created by integrating these criteria. The final suitability maps (AHP and SRS) indicated that the majority of the region falls within moderate-to-high suitability classes, and eight candidate landfill sites (two per province) were selected within the ‘high’ and ‘most suitable’ zones for possible land filling. The study contributes to future waste management planning in Iraq’s Middle Euphrates Region by integrating GIS-based suitability analysis with projected waste generation and landfill capacity requirements up to 2040.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. Shuokr Qarani Aziz, Hamidi Abdul Aziz, Mohammed Jk Bashir, Mohd Suffian Yusoff Appraisal of domestic solid waste generation, components, and the feasibility of recycling in Erbil, Iraq. Waste Management & Research, 2011; 29: 880–887. doi:10.1177/0734242X10387462.
  2. Peyravi, M., Abessi, O., Aghadadashi, S., Jahanshahi, M. Principles of design and operation of landfill sites and leachate treatment (Master Thesis). Babol (IR): Babol Noshirvani University of Technology; 2022 (In Persian).
  3. Femi, F., Oluwole, O. Management of Municipal Solid Waste (PhD Thesis). Lagos (NG): University of Lagos; 2013.
  4. Unnisa, S. A., Rav, S. B. Sustainable Solid Waste Management. 1st ed. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2012. doi:10.1201/b13116.
  5. Malmir, T., Tojo, Y. Municipal solid waste management in Tehran: Changes during the last 5 years. Waste Management & Research, 2016; 34: 449–456. doi:10.1177/0734242X16632056.
  6. Zurbrugg, C. Urban Solid Waste Management in Low-Income Countries of AsiaHow to Cope with the Garbage Crisis. In: Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), Urban Solid Waste Management Review Session; 2002 Nov 1–2; Durban, South Africa. p. 1–13.
  7. Amirsoleymani, Y., Abessi, O., Ebrahimian Ghajari, Y. Evaluation of spatial restriction for the urban sanitary landfill along the Mazandaran province using GIS and analytical hierarchy process. Advanced Environmental Sciences, 2020; 18: 1–20. doi:10.52547/envs.18.4.1.
  8. Al-Anbari, M. A., Thameer, M. Y., Al-Ansari, N. Landfill site selection by weighted overlay technique: case study of Al-Kufa, Iraq. Sustainability, 2018; 10: 999. doi:10.3390/su10040999.
  9. Wang, G., Qin, L., Li, G., Chen, L. Landfill site selection using spatial information technologies and AHP: A case study in Beijing, China. Journal of Environmental Management, 2009; 90: 2414–2421. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.12.008.
  10. Amirsoleymani, Y., Abessi, O., Ghajari, Y. E. A spatial decision support system for municipal solid waste landfill sites (case study: The Mazandaran Province, Iran). Waste Management & Research, 2022; 40: 940–952. doi:10.1177/0734242X211060610.
  11. Proske, H., Vlcko, J., Rosenbaum, M. S., Dorn, M., Culshaw, M., Marker, B. Special purpose mapping for waste disposal sites. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 2005; 64: 1–54. doi:10.1007/s10064-004-0261-6.
  12. Rezaeisabzevar, Y., Bazargan, A., Zohourian, B. Landfill site selection using multi criteria decision making: Influential factors for comparing locations. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2020; 93: 170–184. doi:10.1016/j.jes.2020.02.030.
  13. Aksoy, E., San, B. T. Geographical information systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) integration for sustainable landfill site selection considering dynamic data source. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 2019; 78: 779–791. doi:10.1007/s10064-017-1135-z.
  14. Elkhrachy, I., Alhamami, A., Alyami, S. H. Landfill site selection using multi-criteria decision analysis, remote sensing data, and geographic information system tools in Najran City, Saudi Arabia. Remote Sensing, 2023; 15: 3754. doi:10.3390/rs15153754.
  15. Saha, P., Roy, M. Identification of municipal solid waste disposal sites for sustainable solid waste management in Cooch Behar Municipality, West Bengal: A RS-GIS based MCDA approach. Waste Management Bulletin, 2024; 2: 127–144. doi:10.1016/j.wmb.2024.07.004.
  16. Sharma, K., Tiwari, R., Wadhwani, A. K., Chaturvedi, S. An integrated GIS-MCDM framework for zoning, ranking and sensitivity analysis of municipal landfill sites. Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure, 2025; 10: 313–335. doi:10.1080/23789689.2024.2404279.
  17. Chaturvedi, S., Bhatt, N., Shah, V., Jodhani, K. H., Patel, D., Singh, S. K. Landfill site selection in hilly terrains: An integrated RS-GIS approach with AHP and VIKOR. Waste Management Bulletin, 2025; 3: 332–348. doi:10.1016/j.wmb.2025.01.010.
  18. Al-Mamoori, S. K., Al-Maliki, L. A., Hussain, H. M., Al-Ali, M. J. Geotechnical Mapping for Some Chemical Properties of an-Najaf Province Using GIS. Kufa Journal of Engineering, 2018; 9: 92–113.
  19. Chabuk, A. Solid waste landfills in an arid environment: Site selection and design (PhD Thesis). Luleaa (SE): Luleå University of Technology; 2019.
  20. Ghazal, N. K., Hussein, A. K. Accuracy Assessment of Land Use and Land Cover Classification of AL-Najaf Province, Iraq. Journal of Kufa Physics, 2017; 9: 72–79.
  21. Al Khalidy, K., Chabuk, A., Kadhim, M. Measurement of lead pollution in the air of Babylon Governorate, Iraq during year 2010. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 2012; 62: 826–829.
  22. Iraqi Ministry of Planning. IMP: Records of the Directorate of the Ministry, Internal reports. Baghdad (IQ): Republic of Iraq - Ministry of Planning; 2024.
  23. Abdulredha, M., khaddar, R. A. L., Jordan, D., Hashim, K. The Development of a Waste Management System in Kerbala during Major Pilgrimage Events: Determination of Solid Waste Composition. Procedia Engineering, 2017; 196: 779–784. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.08.007.
  24. Alkhuzaie, M. M., Janna, H. Optimum location for landfills sites based on GIS modeling for Al-Diwaniyah City, Iraq. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 2018; 9: 941–951.
  25. Shaker, A. S., Mohammed, F. S., Al-Shebani, H. Quantity, quality and cost of household waste in al-diwaniyah governorate. Al-Qadisiyah Journal for Agriculture Sciences, 2021; 11: 78–84. doi:10.33794/qjas.2021.170227.
  26. Zambrano-Monserrate, M. A., Ruano, M. A., Ormeño-Candelario, V. Determinants of municipal solid waste: a global analysis by countries’ income level. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021; 28: 62421–62430. doi:10.1007/s11356-021-15167-9.
  27. Al-Anbari, M., Thameer, M., Al-Ansari, N., Knutsson, S. Landfill site selection in Al-Najaf governorate, Iraq. Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 2016; 10: 651–660. doi:10.17265/1934-7359/2016.06.003.
  28. Soils and Soil Conditions in Iraq. Baghdad (IQ): Republic of Iraq - Ministry of Agriculture; 1960.
  29. Isalou, A. A., Zamani, V., Shahmoradi, B., Alizadeh, H. Landfill site selection using integrated fuzzy logic and analytic network process (F-ANP). Environmental Earth Sciences, 2013; 68: 1745–1755. doi:10.1007/s12665-012-1865-y.
  30. Effat, H., N. Hegazy, M. Mapping potential landfill sites for North Sinai cities using spatial multicriteria evaluation. The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science, 2012; 15: 125–133. doi:10.1016/j.ejrs.2012.09.002.
  31. Sener, B. Mapping Potential Landfill Sites for North Sinai Cities (Master Thesis). Ankara (TR): Middle East Technical University; 2004.
  32. Uyan, M. MSW landfill site selection by combining AHP with GIS for Konya, Turkey. Environmental Earth Sciences, 2014; 71: 1629–1639. doi:10.1007/s12665-013-2567-9.
  33. Sadek, S., El‐Fadel, M., Freiha, F. Compliance factors within a GIS‐based framework for landfill siting. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 2006; 63: 71–86. doi:10.1080/00207230600562213.
  34. Moeinaddini, M., Khorasani, N., Danehkar, A., Darvishsefat, A. A., zienalyan, M. Siting MSW landfill using weighted linear combination and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology in GIS environment (case study: Karaj). Waste Management, 2010; 30: 912–920. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2010.01.015.
  35. Delgado, O. B., Mendoza, M., Granados, E. L., Geneletti, D. Analysis of land suitability for the siting of inter-municipal landfills in the Cuitzeo Lake Basin, Mexico. Waste Management, 2008; 28: 1137–1146. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2007.07.002.
  36. Eskandari, M., Homaee, M., Mahmodi, S. An integrated multi criteria approach for landfill siting in a conflicting environmental, economical and socio-cultural area. Waste Management, 2012; 32: 1528–1538. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2012.03.014.
  37. Yildirim, V. Application of raster-based GIS techniques in the siting of landfills in Trabzon Province, Turkey: a case study. Waste Management & Research, 2012; 30: 949–960. doi:10.1177/0734242X12445656.
  38. Kara, C., Doratli, N. Application of GIS/AHP in siting sanitary landfill: a case study in Northern Cyprus. Waste Management & Research, 2012; 30: 966–980. doi:10.1177/0734242X12453975.
  39. Sharifi, M., Hadidi, M., Vessali, E., Mosstafakhani, P., Taheri, K., Shahoie, S., Khodamoradpour, M. Integrating multi-criteria decision analysis for a GIS-based hazardous waste landfill sitting in Kurdistan Province, western Iran. Waste Management, 2009; 29: 2740–2758. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2009.04.010.
  40. Demesouka, O. E., Vavatsikos, A. P., Anagnostopoulos, K. P. Suitability analysis for siting MSW landfills and its multicriteria spatial decision support system: Method, implementation and case study. Waste Management, 2013; 33: 1190–1206. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2013.01.030.
  41. Şener, B., Süzen, M. L., Doyuran, V. Landfill site selection by using geographic information systems. Environmental Geology, 2006; 49: 376–388. doi:10.1007/s00254-005-0075-2.
  42. Ersoy, H., Bulut, F. Spatial and multi-criteria decision analysis-based methodology for landfill site selection in growing urban regions. Waste Management & Research, 2009; 27: 489–500. doi:10.1177/0734242X08098430.
  43. Kontos, T. D., Komilis, D. P., Halvadakis, C. P. Siting MSW landfills on Lesvos island with a GIS-based methodology. Waste Management & Research, 2003; 21: 262–277. doi:10.1177/0734242X0302100310.
  44. Alkaradaghi, K., Ali, S. S., Al-Ansari, N., Laue, J., Chabuk, A. Landfill site selection using MCDM methods and GIS in the Sulaimaniyah Governorate, Iraq. Sustainability, 2019; 11: 4530. doi:10.3390/su11174530.
  45. Thapa, R. B., Murayama, Y. Land evaluation for peri-urban agriculture using analytical hierarchical process and geographic information system techniques: A case study of Hanoi. Land Use Policy, 2008; 25: 225–239. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2007.06.004.
  46. Nas, B., Cay, T., Iscan, F., Berktay, A. Selection of MSW landfill site for Konya, Turkey using GIS and multi-criteria evaluation. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2010; 160: 491–500. doi:10.1007/s10661-008-0713-8.
  47. Jassim, S. Z., Goff, J. C. Geology of Iraq. 1st ed. Baghdad (IQ): DOLIN, sro, distributed by Geological Society of London; 2006.
  48. González, A., Kelly, C., Rymszewicz, A. Advancements in web-mapping tools for land use and marine spatial planning. Transactions in GIS, 2020; 24: 253–267. doi:10.1111/tgis.12603.
  49. Rezaei-Moghaddam, K., Karami, E. A multiple criteria evaluation of sustainable agricultural development models using AHP. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2008; 10: 407–426. doi:10.1007/s10668-006-9072-1.
  50. Saaty, T. L. The Analytic Hierarchy Process: Planning, Priority Setting, Resource Allocation. 1st ed. New York (NY): McGraw-Hill International Book Company; 2008.
  51. Sólnes, J. u. Environmental quality indexing of large industrial development alternatives using AHP. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2003; 23: 283–303. doi:10.1016/S0195-9255(03)00004-0.
  52. Alonso, J. A., Lamata, M. T. Consistency in the analytic hierarchy process: a new approach. International journal of uncertainty, fuzziness and knowledge-based systems, 2006; 14: 445–459. doi:10.1142/S0218488506004114.
  53. Coyle, G. Practical strategy: structured tools and techniques. ed. Pearson Education; 2004.
  54. Setiawan, A., Sediyono, E., Moekoe, D. A. Application of AHP method in determining priorities of conversion of unusedland to food land in Minahasa Tenggara. International Journal of Computer Applications, 2014; 89: doi:10.5120/15526-4433.
  55. El Alfy, Z., Elhadary, R., Elashry, A. Integrating GIS and MCDM to deal with landfill site selection. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 2010; 10: 32–42.
  56. UNEP Solid Waste Management. 2nd ed. New York (NY): United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); 2005.
  57. Ho, G. International Source Book on Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) for Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM). 1st ed. New York (NY): UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics International (UNEP-IETC); 2006.
  58. Chabuk, A., Al-Ansari, N., Hussain, H. M., Laue, J., Hazim, A., Knutsson, S., Pusch, R. Landfill sites selection using MCDM and comparing method of change detection for Babylon Governorate, Iraq. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2019; 26: 35325–35339. doi:10.1007/s11356-019-05064-7.
  59. Ishaq, B. Y., Qasim, A. F., Faisal, R. M. Using the GIS application and multi-criteria analysis to determine to optimal site for solid waste landfill in Tal Afar district. Journal of Rafidain Environment, 2025; 2: 31–48. doi:10.33899/jre.v3i2.49932.
  60. Salman, Q., Hamdan, A. Landfill site selection using analytical hierarchy process and GIS: a case study in Al-Zubair district, Basrah, Iraq. Muthanna Journal of Engineering and Technology, 2024; 12: doi:10.52113/3/eng/mjet/2024-12-02/50-61.
  61. Al-Alanbari, M., Ensaif, Y. R. Landfill Site Selection in Karbala Governorate, Iraq. Journal of Engineering and Sustainable Development, 2018; 22: 30–42. doi:10.31272/jeasd.2018.6.4.
Civil Engineering and Applied Solutions
Volume 2, Issue 4
October 2026
Pages 42-59

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 20 December 2025
  • Revise Date: 30 January 2026
  • Accept Date: 18 April 2026
  • First Publish Date: 18 April 2026

Share

How to cite

Statistics