ABSTRACT
The solid wastes in Malaysia are generally disposed through landfills located within the respective states under the control of their local municipalities. The awareness of proper landfill siting has currently become a central issue, where there has been an existence of an inadequate systematic planning decision with respect to locating landfills. This paper highlights a GIS based spatial analytical procedure to investigate the compliances of present landfill location with the criteria set by the by the Malaysian National Strategic Plan for Solid Waste Management (NSPWM). A comprehensive review of the detailed parameters for environmental, physical and socioeconomic (EPSE) criteria set by NSPWM is also discussed. Case studies were conducted on landfill locations in the northern part of Malaysia, viz. Jabi Landfill (Kedah), Pulai Landfill (Kedah), and Alor Pongsu Landfill (Perak). The result has indicated that their locations fulfill the criteria pertaining to sustainable landfill siting set by NSPWM. However, there is non-uniformity with regards to criterion parameters being assessed, where there are evidences of influence from different policies set by the respective state municipalities. The divarication in criterion parameters can create problems in ensuring efficient and effective solid waste landfill management.
