QGIS-based weighted linear combination plugin for landfill site selection: a case study in Tokat Province, Turkey.

Abstract

Proper disposal of solid waste is crucial for the protection of natural resources and human health. However, increasing population and changes in consumption habits have led to a global increase in solid waste production. Therefore, a site selection process for solid waste management that takes into account environmental, economic, and social factors is needed. The number of open-source GIS (geographic information system) software programs used in site selection analysis is increasing day by day. QGIS software is an open-source GIS software developed by free software developers, with its popularity increasing with each new version and allowing for the development of plugins with the Python programming language. The shareability of plugins developed with QGIS software brings together open-source GIS users around the world for common goals. In this study, a plugin called "LANDFILL SITE SELECTION (LFSS)" was developed in the QGIS software environment for solid waste landfill site selection and a suitability map was created for solid waste landfill site selection in Tokat, Turkey, using this plugin. For this purpose, 14 evaluation criteria and 8 exclusion criteria were selected, the importance levels of criteria and sub-criteria were determined using the AHP method, and a solid waste landfill site selection suitability map was created using the developed plugin.