Suitability mapping of solid waste disposal sites in Obio/Akpor local government area: rivers state of Nigeria

Abstract

Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State have constantly witnessed Rapid City growth and increased urbanization due to persistence rural-urban migration and the quest for human to meet their needs and wants. This has increased solid waste generation and unregulated dumping of solid wastes in unapproved sites. This prompted the need for this study which is aimed at mapping the suitability of solid waste sites in the study area with the objective of identifying the spatial locations and development of a database of suitability or otherwise of solid waste disposal sites. Ground survey and Geospatial techniques were utilized for data acquisition, manipulation and processing. Garmin 78csx GNSS receiver was used in observing the coordinates of ground positions of all solid waste disposal sites in the study area, the obtain coordinates were charted on the Google earth imagery (2022) and Open Street Map (OSM) (2022) to ensure the positions falls within the shape-file of the study area, On-Screen vectorization was perform using the point, line and polygon spatial tools in the QGIS 3.22 bialowieza software environment to determine the position and extent of solid waste sites under study. Proximity analysis was performed in QGIS environment for buffer of 200m, 500m and 1km to ascertain the suitability of solid waste collection centers and dumpsites base on global standard and proximity maps were produced. A total of (114) solid waste disposal sites were mapped, with (27) legal and (73) illegal collection points and (2) suitable and (12) unsuitable dumpsites respectively. The study also revealed that Elelenwo community in ward 6 has the highest (12) whereas Egbelu Ozodo community in ward 16 has the lowest (1) number of collection sites in the study area. Immediate review and enforcement of solid waste disposal and management laws is needed to forestall likely environmental hazards resulting from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the study area.