Multi-criteria Analysis and GIS to Select Centralised Solid Waste Disposal Sites: A Case Study in Hanoi, Vietnam

Choosing a waste disposal site has a great impact on urban planning in terms of its economy, environment, and residents’ health. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, a city with a large area and a dense population. However, currently, there are only two waste disposal sites: Nam Son and Xuan Son landfills. As a result, the amount of waste dumped into these two landfills is excessively high, leading to an overload situation. To address this issue, the Hanoi authority plans to construct 17 solid waste treatment areas covering an area of 430 hectares. However, there are conflicting opinions about the proposed locations for waste treatment areas, as some believe that those sites are not yet optimal. To determine the most suitable location for the solid waste landfill in Hanoi, the study combined Geographic Information System (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) to assess the importance level of each criterion for the location selection. The research results indicated that the Nam Son waste treatment area was evaluated as the most optimal location. Among the remaining 16 locations proposed by the city’s authorities in the planning document, 6 locations were deemed suitable, while the rest were considered less suitable according to the evaluation.