GIS-BASED MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS FOR OPTIMAL LANDFILL SITE SELECTION IN BUKURU, JOS SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Rapid urbanization and population growth in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria, have increased municipal solid waste generation, resulting in indiscriminate waste disposal, environmental degradation, and public health risks due to the absence of scientifically selected landfill sites. This study aimed to identify suitable landfill sites using an integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach. A geospatial multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework was employed, integrating spatial and non-spatial datasets. Spatial data comprising land use/land cover, slope, soil type, geology, road network, water bodies, and settlement distribution were obtained from satellite imagery, existing maps, and GPS field surveys. Seven environmental and socio-economic criteria were standardized, weighted using the AHP pairwise comparison technique, and integrated through weighted overlay analysis in ArcGIS 10.8. The results classified the study area into three suitability classes. Highly suitable areas occupied 24.63 km² (12.8%), moderately suitable areas covered 58.41 km² (30.4%), while unsuitable areas accounted for 109.06 km² (56.8%) of the study area. The highly suitable zones were predominantly located in peripheral areas characterized by gentle slopes, favourable geological conditions, low settlement density, and adequate separation from water bodies and major transportation corridors. The study concludes that integrating GIS and AHP provides an objective and reliable decision-support framework for landfill site selection. It recommends that the identified highly suitable sites be subjected to detailed geotechnical and environmental impact assessments before development and that GIS-based MCDA be adopted to support sustainable solid waste management planning in Bukuru and similar rapidly urbanizing areas.