Assessment of Spatial Distribution of Waste Bins in Karachi Through GIS Techniques

Abstract

Karachi has been facing various issues of municipal solid waste management. In the early 1960s, Karachiwas the centre of leisure, now it has stretched out due to its increasing population. However, due to insufficientfacilities and ineffective strategies, issues related to waste management are also increasing. For the problems related towaste management, the fundamental units available are municipal trash bins. In this study, 409 GPS point data ofcollection points of waste have been assembled from various areas of Karachi for assessment of the spatial distributionof waste bins. A spatial variation of distance between the trash bins is also identified through ArcGIS 10.3.1cartography tool of generalization, which aggregates the points of trash bins by making polygon shape of the samedistance. Globally, Geospatial techniques are used for changing the system of waste management. This is the first studythat assessed the suitable distance of bins placement in the area under focus. The results revealed that there are noprinciples acquired by the government for the placement of trash bins with appropriate distance. In many towns ofKarachi like Landhi and Korangi, bins are absent which impels people to throw their trash anywhere in the city.