Site Suitability Analysis for Solid Waste Disposal using Geospatial Technology: A Case Study of Katsina-Ala Township, Katsina-Ala, Benue State

Solid waste disposal is a serious problem in the urban areas of Nigeria because of indiscriminate dumping. Particularly, Katsina-Ala Town has the problem of identifying suitable sites for solid waste disposal. The main objective of this study was to select potential areas suitable for solid waste disposal for Katsina-Ala Town. The main data used for this study were spot5 satellite image with a spatial resolution of 5m, digital elevation model (DEM) with 0.5 m spatial resolution, and ground control point (GCP) collected through ground point survey (GPS) and topographical map of the study area. The maps were prepared by overlay and suitability analysis using geographic information system (GIS) methods, remote sensing techniques and multi criteria analysis. The final suitability map of the study area was prepared on Arc map and labelled as high, moderate, (low) suitable regions 1.3 % less suitable, 21.8 % moderately suitable, and 0.37 % most suitable. The most suitable areas for solid waste disposal fall on the north-eastern part of the town where there are least environmental and health risks. The GIS and remote sensing techniques are important tools for solid waste site selection. Hence, the capacity to use GIS and remote sensing technology for the effective identification of suitable solid waste dumping site will minimize environmental risk and human health problems.