Use of Geospatial Technologies in Selecting Suitable Site for Solid Waste Disposal in Kajiado North Constituency – Kajiado County

Abstract

Poor solid waste management is among the factors considered as environmental health harzards. One of the ways of managing solid waste in an urban area is by disposing the same at a carefully selected land-fill site in or around the area. Because of the tremendous impacts on the economy, biodiversity, climate, and public health, site selection is a serious problem in the urban planning phase (Abu Albert Mornya). Ngong Town in the constituency has a solid waste disposal problem that adversely affects its inhabitants. The aim of this project was to use geospatial technologies to identify a suitable site for disposal of solid waste in Kajiado North Constituency. As of 2019, the constituency had a population of 306,596. The methodology of the study involved data acquisition, creating a model that buffered the criteria according to their factors, the creation of criteria analysis maps and performing a weighted overlay analysis using the criteria analysis maps to come up with a suitability analysis map. The data used included; Satellite imagery, County spatial data, Development plans and Digital elevation model. The project entailed identifying and weighting the factors that influence the choice of a suitable waste-disposal site, carying out multi-criteria analysis and producing an overall site-suitability map. The map was then used to evaluate the appropriateness of the waste disposal locations that the local government had already chosen. As per the research criteria used in the analysis, the study was able to come up with suitable sites for solid-waste disposal. It further established that the current dumpsite lies within the unsuitable areas and therefore it is unsuitably located. The results indicated that there were several areas that were suitable for landfill and could be used. It is therefore recommended that the dumpsite be relocated to one of the more suitable areas, such as Kibiku. Due to scarcity of land as years go by, need for identifying sites vertically instead of horizontally is important. A quarry site could be considered on this since in Kenya only few fill-up of the quarries is done.