Application of Geographic Information System to Solid ...

Pan African International Conference on Information Science, Computing and Telecommunications (2013)

Application of Geographic Information System to Solid Waste Management Thompson A.F.1,Afolayan A.H.2, Ibidunmoye E.O.3 Department of Computer Science Federal University of Technology, Akure,Nigeria. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and/or burying solid waste. The common arrangement in the few urban communities where a system is in place, is for waste management authorities to collect refuse from households and public containers (waste bins) on a regular basis using collection trucks. Unfortunately, operations managed by the waste management authorities has mostly been inefficient and ineffective as evidenced by mounds of decomposing refuse that have become a regular site in many urban areas. [2]affirmed that domestic, industrial and other wastes, whether they are of low or medium levelbrings about environmental pollution and have become perennial problems for mankind. If this situation is not handled in a proper manner within time then it would lead to worse consequences on a local and at global level.There has been awareness regarding waste management amongst many countries. There has been development of new technologies for improving the waste management systems. GIS is one of the new technologies which have contributed a lot in very less time span to the waste management society. [3] described Geographic Information System (GIS) as one that helps to manipulate data in the computer to simulate alternatives and to take the most effective decision. It is complex to summarize the total meaning of the term solid waste in a single definition. In a wider term solid wastes arise from human and animal activities that are normally discarded as useless or unwanted. In other words, solid wastes may be defined as the organic and inorganic waste materials produced by various activities of the society and which have lost their value to the first user [4]. There are also some technical descriptions to the term solid waste by [5], solid waste is the term used to describe non-liquid waste materials arising from domestic, trade, commercial, agricultural, industrial activities and from public services. Improper disposal of solid wastes pollutes all the vital components of the living environment (i.e., air, land and water) at local and global levels. Unmanaged heaps of waste cause adverse impacts to the environment as well as human health. Waste is a serious health hazard and lead to the spread of infectious diseases. Unattended waste lying around attracts flies, rats, and other creatures that in turn spread disease. Air pollution is another factor to be considered. Normally it

Abstract- Waste management is a global observable occurrence. It constitutes a huge environmental problem if notproperly supervised. There is a considerable amount of waste disposal without proper planning which has led to both economic and environment challenges. There is a tremendous amount of loss in terms of environmental degradation, health hazards and economic descend due to direct disposal of waste. GIS is a tool that enhances effective coordination of spatial data. However, this effective planning tool has not been used in most African countries, particularly Nigeria, for managing waste disposal. On the technology side, existing systems are often closed and un-commercialised forcing agencies to use GIS solutions that are primarily not for waste disposal thereby limiting developing countries environmental management effort. This work develops a system that enhances waste management authority in planning and combating the menace of the improper solid waste disposal. The developed system solves the problem of allocation and relocation of waste bins, no separate bins for recyclable waste, and no direct communication means between citizen and waste management authority. A survey with 60 respondentswithin the study area was carried out. The analysis of the result that 90% of the residents uses personal house waste bins to collect and store their garbage before dumping it into the municipal waste bin and it was seen that 65% keep the garbage for 1 or 2 days and 30% keep it for 2 to 3days while 5% keep it for 3 to 4days. It was also seen that 70% had given a preference of 100 meters as a convenient distance to the municipal waste bins. Index Terms-solid waste management, GIS, environmental problem, waste disposal.

I. INTRODUCTION The environment is heading towards a potential risk due to unsustainable waste disposal. It is a sensitive issue which poses serious environmental problems in today’s world. The present situation of direct dumping of the waste without proper inspection and separation leaves a serious impact of environmental pollution causing a tremendous growth in health related problems [1]; many cities in developing countries arefacing this challenge. In recent years, there has been a phenomenal increase in the volume of wastes generated daily; resulting from increasing population growth rate, increasing urbanisation, industrialisation and economic growth. In addition, many urban areas lack effective waste management systems. As a result, most urban households resort to the haphazard dumping, burn

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is the wet waste that decomposes and releases a bad odour. This leads to unhygienic conditions and thereby causes rise in the health problems. Other than this, codisposal of industrial/ residential hazardous waste with municipal waste can expose people to chemical and radioactive hazards. Uncollected solid waste can also obstruct storm water runoff, resulting in the forming of stagnant water bodies that become the breeding ground for disease causing agents. Wastes dumped along roads, riverbanks, abandoned quarries, seas, and lakes results in the inevitable effect of contaminating water supplies as well as the whole aquatic chain. Animals grazing on dumps can pass on diseases via the food chain. The problem is more acute in developing nations than in developed nations, as their economic growth as well as urbanization is more rapid. Due to rapid growth of urban population, as well as constraint in resources, the management of solid waste poses a difficult and complex problem for the society and its improper management gravely affects the public health and degrades environment. Although, solid waste management is a global challenge, it is more serious in a developing country such as Nigeria that has a total area of 923,768 km² (356,669 mi²), making it the world's 32nd-largest country.There has been a significant increase in MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) generation in Nigeria in the last few decades. Many cities around the world have attempted to develop GIS-based software for managing and monitoring waste disposal with many successes. However, most of these software are very personalized and highly closed. In reality, they are often not developed for commercial purpose and therefore are out of the reach of developing countries with limited investment in environmental management. On the other hand, many GIS software have also been used in waste management albeit with heavy customization and tweaking as most of these software are not made specifically for waste management and monitoring and thus, require expert-level knowledge of the system. This, and the high cost of such generic solutions, further act as a barrier in the deployment of GIS systems for waste management systems in developing countries. The aim of this paper is to assess the present waste management situation in the case study area of Ondo State, Nigeria and evaluate the problems that arise due to short comings of the waste management system. On the basis of the analysis and related literature reviews, a system will be developed that could be able to improve the waste management situation. The developed GISbased system would reduce the waste management workload to a great extent. The paper would deal with, how Geographic Information System (GIS) can be used as a decision support tool for planning waste management.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW Waste is a wide ranging term encompassing most unwanted materials. Waste includes any scrap material, effluent or unwanted surplus substance or article that requires disposal because it is broken, worn out, contaminated or otherwise spoiled. [2]. The Ministry of Environment is the legal body in Nigeria that controls certain types of waste – known as 'controlled wastes'. These include household, industrial and commercial waste. Other wastes called 'noncontrolled' (agriculture, mines and quarries) are not currently regulated in the same way. Certain wastes are classified as ‘hazardous’ – this is a term for a wide range of substances that may have variable levels of risk. For instance, toxic substances that may cause cancer are classed as hazardous. Fluorescent tubes or cathode ray tubes in televisions are also classed as hazardous and pose little immediate threat but may cause long term damage over a period of time [7]. [8] identified twelve factors influencing sustainable recycling in developing countries, while considering the three dimensions of sustainable environment, society, and economy. The factors were derived from quantitative and qualitative examination of twenty-three case studies of developing countries. [9]conducted a feasibility study and comprehensive action plan for a large scale municipal composting operation at the Riverton disposal site in Kingston. The use of appropriate technology for the composting operation was emphasized by [9], which the author states is often overlooked in developing countries that import high-tech equipment and designs from aid agencies and developed countries. [10] suggested that significant waste reduction could be accomplished through source reduction with increased backyard composting, since about 50% of household waste is organic material. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) collection is the component of waste management which comprises lifting and removal /passage of a waste material from the source of production to either the point of treatment or finaldisposal. Collection of generated solid waste is the crucial part in MSW management. Efficiencyin collecting solid waste & segregating it decides how well solid waste is managed. Collectionincludes not only the gathering of solid waste, but also the transport of these materials aftercollection, to the location where the collection vehicle is emptied. This location may be amaterial processing facility, a transfer station or a landfill disposal site. In metro cities transfer stations are located at different places to support intermediate transfer of waste from the surrounding areas up to the dumping grounds. Transfer stations are centralized facilities where waste is unloaded from smaller collection vehicles and re-loaded into larger vehicles (including in

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some instances barges or railroads) for transport to a disposal or processing site. The transportation of garbage from the transfer stations is done generally using Trailers and Bulk Refuse Carriers. In large cities, open flatbed trucks, covered trucks, and some compactors are in use, whereas in smaller cities tractortrailers, tricycles and animal carts are common. Study shows that in metros like Mumbai, around 60 per cent of waste is transported through stationary compactors, mobile compactors and closed tempos; 10 per cent is through partially open dumpers whereas 20 per cent is through tarpaulin covered vehicles, which includes silt and debris. The perceived significant impacts of waste on the constituents of the environment, particularly man have spurred a number of studies. The application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology as a tool to strengthen the waste management strategies has also been researched and reported in the world over. Solid waste management is the collection, transport, processing (waste treatment), recycling or disposal of waste materials, usually ones produced by human activity, in an effort to reduce their effect on human health or local aesthetics or amenity. It can involve solid, liquid or gaseous substances with different methods and fields of expertise for each [11]. Management of waste in urban centres presents a major challenge to municipal authorities all over the world, particularly, in developing economies where urban spatial growth is unguarded, due to population explosion and the need to satisfy basic needs of man. The consequents are poverty, homelessness, unemployment, social vices, and dirty environment among others, have become clogs in socio-economic and environmental development. The most serious challenge of the waste management situation in our cities is open dump systems adopted to manage solid waste.[12] observed that most city residence dispose of their refuse either in open gutters, rivers, streets, open dumps, without regard to the environment and associated health hazards. Another study of nine projects in developing countries under the Urban Waste Expertise Group (UWEP) by [13], noted that, for most urban districts, there is no infrastructure like sewerage or roads, public spaces, and wastes collection service particularly in informal housing areas. The absence of these services encourages people to dump their refuse along the roads, outside the houses, in the courtyards, in the rivers, thus leading to ugly and unhealthy environments. In Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, rapid urbanization due to economic growth and industry has put pressure on the land within the cities and their neighbourhoods. There is increased solid waste generation resulting from the increased urban population with an overwhelming influence on the

ability of the municipal authorities to manage which results in degraded environments, thus increasing the health risks [12].In their study of the environmental problems and management in Nigeria [14], observed that Solid waste management techniques vary a lot in Nigeria, and that adopted techniques depend on availability of equipment, skilled personnel, requisite solid waste administration, necessary finance, economy and whether solid waste operators are carried out by public or private concerns. Although, waste removal is one of the most pressing issues in Nigerian cities, it is not a new problem. As [15] observed, the history of urban management (including waste management) in Nigerian cities is closely tied to that of local government, which went through four evolutionary periods: the precolonial period, the colonial period, and the immediate pre- and post-independence period. Various factors have been adjudged as the cause of the crippled performance of local government in waste management. The local government structures were unstable because of the set-up, financial allocation, administrative machinery, composition, headship, etc. All this makes urban management a problem after the independence. Most Nigerian cities are along with heaps of refuse in street corners, side- walks e.t.c. The problems become an international embarrassment during the period of hosting an international festival of Art and culture (FESTAC) ‘77, when Lagos, the then Federal Capital city, was described as the dirtiest capital city in the world. Of all the cost of urban environmental degradation, damage to human health is by far the highest [16]. The report released by the World Health Organisation in May 1996, estimated that of the 51.9 million worldwide deaths in 1995, about 17.3 million (33%) were due to infectious diseases. In this group of diseases, about 22% (3.75 million deaths) were due to food, water and soil borne agents. Human activities have adversely affected the coastal and marine environments leading to reduction in the amenity value, loss of biological diversity and degradation of the water quality, poor sanitation and negative effects on human health [17]. The phenomenal growth in the number of urban residents within the last four decades in Africa has bequeathed complex and interwoven environmental challenges to successive generations. One of these intractable challenges is waste management. Rapid rate of urbanisation and industrialisation have compound the issue of managing both liquid and solid wastes emanating from diverse chores of urban dwellers. The time is now for the Governments (Federal and State) to initiate a comprehensive waste management strategy (involving professionals) with a measure to upgrading Waste Dumpsites [18].

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III. ANALYSIS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM In the study area,the traditional waste management system works in a team of ward officers and every ward officer is given a group of employees and it is their responsibility to maintain the waste in the area allotted to them. The issues related to the health problems in context with waste management are looked upon by the environmental health officers. In a group of a ward officer there are 4 sanitary inspectors and each sanitary inspector is assisted with three labourers, one helper, a driver and two revenue collectors and they are in charge of waste collection. The sanitary officer(s), labourers and revenue collector moves round the area allotted to them and once a heap of waste or open dumps is found or a particular bin is filled. The waste collection vehicle starts at 5.30 am for its waste collection trip. The waste is collected manually by the labours. The helper is along with the waste collecting labours generally 2 to 3 in numbers and the necessary equipments like handcart, vessels, etc. They collect waste from and around the bin in the vessel and lift it manually and throw the garbage in the truck. The waste bins which are not accessible for the truck are lifted with small vans or auto rickshaw (a three tire vehicle). Some areas which don’t have access even with the small vehicles are evacuated using the handcarts. The waste is collected in the hand cart and brought to the truck which is waiting on the road and is transferred into the truck. It is the target to cover maximum number of bins from the allotted area. Those bins which are left without collection of waste are covered in the second trip or on the next day. As all categories of waste are put in same bin, the collection is also done without any segregation. There is only a one type of bin at all the locations. All sorts of waste is collected in the same vehicle and dumped in the trenching ground at Igbatoro situated 6 kilometres away from city limits. The team is allotted a particular area to manage waste with the required equipments and it starts working in that area and comes to know about the proper way to deal with waste after few numbers of experiences and trials. Now that team becomes familiar with the area’s problems and requirements but there is no documentation of their working schedule or their experiences. If there is a new recruitment in the team or there is a change in the duty of any employee, then he gets acquainted with the areas and the working schedule through his colleagues who are aware of the area’s waste situation. This is a drawback that there is no proper kind of documentation either in form of maps for spatial information or description of working of the waste management system. There are several systematic approaches in the system but there were some short comings. From the observations made in the existing system, the following

conclusions were drawn which help us to frame the guidelines for proposing the new model for waste management in the case study area. 1. No proper allocation of waste bins 2. The garbage is not lifted at regular intervals. 3. The waste bins are most of the time in a pitiful condition lying full of garbage without being cleaned and also bins are either uncovered or not lying upright. 4. There was no segregation of solid waste categories like paper, glass, polythene, food material etc. 5. There is no direct communication means between citizen and waste management authority. On the other side the municipal authorities had their reasons for this mismanaged of the waste maintenance. 1. The citizens do not throw the waste inside the bins so it often lies outside and around the bins, making the area around the bin look dirty. 2. There is also a shortage of manpower, equipments and machinery. IV. OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM Waste management system is one that addresses the problem of managing, monitoring of waste material and the interoperability between parties involved in the collection, transport and management of waste material. It also addresses the issues of waste been littered around thereby causing diseases and giving our environment a bad aesthetics. The proposed system solves the problem by using an internet-based platform for the management and monitoring of waste collection, disposal and transportation etc. The figure below presents a conceptualization of the proposed system

Web Server

Scripting Engine

Database

Server side

Back End

Local Host ASP Page

Front End

HTML Page

Client Machine

Client Program e.g. Web

Figure 1: System Architecture The system comprises of the client machine, server and the database. The client machine is the device used in accessing the pages and forms use for the web application e.gPDAs, phones, laptops etc. and the local host is the program that launches the application and makes it behave as if it is actually hosted on the internet, the back-endhosts the web server and database management system engine that manages the data

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usedby the application and the ASP.NET script controls the movement of data between the user front-end and the application back-end.

Figure 2shows management accessibility to waste bin registration, checking of messages and notifications. It also shows the management panel, the message page is the default page for the panel. The application provides real-time bi-directional communication between the waste officers and citizens. Examples of messaging medium supported include SMS alerts, Email, and application messages. Messages between the citizens and the administrator can be viewed from this page shown in Figure 2.

V. MATERIALS AND METHODS The methodology includes the collection of information about the existing working pattern of the municipal waste management through interviews with the municipal officials and by giving out questionnaires to residents of the case study area. Analysis of the present waste situation and information from this survey were used to prepare the initial database about the waste situations of the study area. The proposed systemattempts to solve some of the present situation problems like proper allocation and relocation of waste bins, check for unsuitability and proximity convenience to the users and future suggestions. Finally the model was implemented on aWindowscompatible PC.The system was developed using C# and ASP.NET MVC based on the .Net 2.0 framework. To take advantage of the Windows development environment, we used the Microsoft SQLSERVER as the database management system. VI. SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION The purpose of the implementation phase of software development is to translate the software design into source code. Each component of the design is implemented as a program module. The end-product of this phase is a set of program modules that have been individually tested. During this phase, each module is unit tested to determine the correct working of all the individual modules. It involves testing each module in isolation as this is the most efficient way to debug the errors identified at this stage. Some of the major modules contained in the system includes, the MapManager, ConnectionManager,WMSAdapter, DataAccessAdapter, MessagingManager. The web application would be used by three different users, the administrator, management and the users/citizen.These users upon creation are assigned roles defining what level of access they have. The home page is the first interface encountered by the system users. It is an easy-to-use interface from within which other pages could be reached. It provides many selfdescribing links through which users can carry out some system processes such as the home page for user login, administrator and regional manager. The application provides workspace for the various regional managers to manage and monitor waste disposal in their jurisdiction using a Map interface as shown in Figure 5. The regional manager authentication page links the manager to view notification, messages and management panel.This is to enforce role and hierarchical management of different users.

Figure 2: Management Panel/ Messages Page In Figure 5, the regional manager views all notifications including the waste binsthat are due to be emptied. These notifications are gathered from discussion forums, direct messages, and short messages (SMS) logged on to the application.

Figure 3: Management Panel/ Notification Page Figure 4 presents the locations of registered bins on the map and alsoshowshow the map is used to display instant notifications are displayed in real-time on the waste map.

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Figure 4:

VIII. REFERENCES [1] Ahmed S.M. ,(2006) “Using GIS in Solid Waste Management Planning” A case study for Aurangabad, India” Final Master’s Thesis, Supervisor: Dr. ÅkeSivertun, IDA, Linköpings University ,Examiner: Dr. ÅkeSivertun, IDA, Linköpings University, ISRN: LIU-IDA-D20--06/004--SE [2] Ramasamy SM, Kumanan CJ, Palanivel K., (2003) “GIS Based Solutions for Waste Disposals”. In: GIS Development, India, Dec 2002 India. Using GIS in Solid Waste Management Planning: A case study for Aurangabad, India. [3] Narayan .L. (1999) “Remote Sensing in its Applications”. In: University Press: India, 1999. [4] Opara, J.A (2008).”Urban Waste Control and Management: Issues and Challenges”: Journal of Environmental Management and Education, 1(1), pp.161. [5] Palnitkar .S. (2002), “Manual of Solid Waste Management”: AIILSG, Mumbai. pp. 9. [6] http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/aste/ alldefs.htm Accessed March 13, 2013 [7] http://www.environmentagency.gov.uk/subjects/waste/10319 54/? Accessed March 13, 2013 [8] Troschintez, A. (2005) “Twelve Factors Influencing Sustainable Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste in Developing Countries”: Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering Thesis, Michigan Technological University. Houghton, Michigan. [9]Jennifer L. (2007) “Solid Waste Management” Unpublished Msc thesis, Department of Civil, Michigan. [10]Pendley, P.S. (2005) “Feasibility and Action Plan for Composting Operation Incorporating Appropriate Technology at Riverton Disposal Site, Kingston, Jamaica” :Unpublished Msc thesis, Department of Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University. Houghton, Michigan. [11] Kaila, J., (1987). “Mathematic Model for Strategic Evaluation of Municipal Solid Waste management system”: technical research centre of Finland Publication 40, Espoo. Finland. [12] Ajadike J.C (2001), “Urban solid waste problems and management in Nigeria”. [13] SyvarineBulle (1999), “Issues and Results of community Participation in Urban Environment”: Comparative analysis of nine projects on waste management. [14] Ofomata I. and Eze G.B (2001), “Information on solid waste situation in Nigeria”: A case study of Benue State and Enugu State. [15] Onibokun, (1989): Public Perception on infrastructural decay: a case study of Ibadan City. [16] Adelegan, J.A (2004),”The history of environmental police and pollution of water source in Nigeria. [17] Soyinka, A. (2007): “Simple hygiene can prevent 45% of recorded deaths” The Punch, Wednesday May 30. Page 42. [18] Waste Management World (2007), “Environmental Science Towards a Sustainable Future”.

Waste Bins Location Page

VII. CONCLUSION Generation of waste is a daily affair. Its management ought not to be a problem if correct approaches are employed. The rate at which solid wastes of all descriptions are dumped in all sphere of environment in Akure appears to pose a high risk to the public health and the environment in general. There is urgent need for the Ondo State Waste Management Authority to respond by adopting acceptable computer based solution to the problems associated with waste management in Akure. The system is designed to run on all platforms that have a browser installed including tablet, smart phones, non-smart phones and laptops etc. that can access the internet. The business logic of system sits on the Microsoft.NET platform with C Sharp as the programming language. The presentation layer is Html5 make-up language for platform independent. Finally, the data layer is the sequel language that interfaces the database. The waste management system should be adopted for proper management and planning through online/internet bases, because it will provide a direct communication means between citizens and the waste management authority and also provide a good solid waste management facilities to the citizens which could maintain a healthy and clean environment. It will also aid the prompt delivery of the services of the environmental unit of the local government areas in Nigeria. The existing policy guidelines at Federal, State and Local tier of government should be given teeth to facilitate coercion and compliance; to develop a milieu where preventable diseases would not be a hindrance to socio-economic development. Therefore, fund that supposed to be expended on developmental projects of any kind would not be employed in procuring medications for curing diseases that are preventable. Therefore, we would have put up with the sage: prevention is better than cure.

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