Landfill site selection for sustainable solid waste management using multiple-criteria decision-making. Case study: Al-Balqa governorate in Jordan

Landfill site selection is an essential aspect of sustainable solid waste management as it ensures that the waste generated by a community or region is disposed of in an environmentally friendly and safe manner. The approach for selecting landfill sites seeks to choose locations that provide the least risk to the environment and public health while still satisfying the demands of the local community. This research aims to use a multi -criteria assessment to determine a landfill location in Al-Balqa Governorate in Jordan to ensure that the chosen site meets the needs of all stakeholders while minimizing the negative impact on the environment and the community. This research developed a hierarchy structure to make landfill site selection decisions, which involves identifying parameters such as distance to surface water, land cover, distance from urban and rural areas, distance to roads, slope, and soil permeability. A rating system was used to evaluate each criterion, and weights were assigned to reflect their relative importance. An overlay weighting technique was then used to assess site suitability based on expert opinions from related fields. In this studied area, about 204,283 m2 is required to address 25 years of municipal solid waste volume, whereas this technique identified around 79,210,000 m2 of potential landfill sites. Overall, the research highlights the importance of using a multi -criteria assessment approach for landfill site selection to ensure that the chosen site meets the needs of all stakeholders while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and public health. The study provides insights that can be useful for decision -makers involved in sustainable solid waste management in Jordan and other similar regions. - How to Find the suitable landfills to achieve sustainable development. - What aspects and criteria were comsidered in choosing the landfill site.