Browsing by Author "Assan, Gladys Ama"

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    GIS-Based approach for landfill site selection in Obuasi Municipality
    (2013) Assan, Gladys Ama
    Landfill constitutes one of the primary methods of municipal solid waste disposal. Optimized landfill site selection is the fundamental step in sound waste disposal and the protection of the environment, public health and quality of life. Siting decisions have gained considerable importance in order to ensure minimum damage to the various environmental sub-components as well as reduce the stigma associated with the residents living in its vicinity thereby prolonging its life span. Waste disposal in the Obuasi Municipality in Ghana, has mainly been by open dumping which has resulted in contamination of both surface and ground water and other environmental problems. This research therefore focused on siting a new landfill in the Obuasi Municipal using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and overlay analysis in a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) environment. Several factors considered in the siting process included fault lines, distances to surface water, roads and settlements, land use and sensitive sites. Weightings were assigned to each criterion depending upon their relative importance and ratings in accordance with the relative magnitude of impact. It is found that three (3) out of the seventeen (17) potential sites selected best meet all the criteria used. The integration of GIS and RS techniques has been an effective and efficient tool in carrying out this study in that RS techniques made it possible to study the various land cover types within the study area whereas GIS aided in the modelling and preparation of needed maps. The results is a databank in which the municipal authorities can refer to when the need of constructing a landfill site arises.