Abstract
Rapid urbanization and rising waste generation in Indian cities necessitate scientifically robust approaches for identifying suitable landfill sites. This study develops a spatial multi-criteria decision-making framework integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the Combinative Distance-Based Assessment (CODAS) method to evaluate landfill site suitability in Vadodara, India. Fourteen environmental, socio-economic, and infrastructural criteria were incorporated to generate thematic layers, and their relative importance was assessed using AHP. Eight candidate sites were subsequently evaluated using the CODAS method, enabling identification of the most suitable location for landfill development. The results indicate that land-use characteristics, economic considerations, and terrain conditions exert a dominant influence on site suitability. Sensitivity analysis conducted across multiple weighting scenarios confirmed the robustness of the results, with less than 5% variation in suitability scores and the overall site hierarchy remaining stable. The proposed framework demonstrates the effectiveness of combining AHP, CODAS, and GIS-based spatial analysis to support systematic, transparent, and evidence-based landfill site selection, providing a practical decision-support tool for sustainable waste management planning in rapidly urbanizing regions.
NETL
NSTL
Elsevier