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Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 19 (2011) 662–667

The 2nd International Geography Symposium GEOMED2010

Application of geomorphology in urban planning: Case study in

landfill site selection
Zahra Adelia & Alimohammad Khorshiddoustb *
a
M.A. Student of Geography Department, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran
b
Associate Professor of Geography Department, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

In this paper, we study the application of geomorphology in planning. Since geomorphology is a science about the
changes in land features and geomorphic planning is a science that helps us find the best solutions for present land use
problems. Geomorphology uses different time scales for planning issues. Short term time scaling includes a 10 to 50
year period through which this science can play a significant role in issues such as site selection of many land uses.
Urban site selection, urban morphology, industrial and waste disposal site selection are among these land uses. We have
carried out research for a solid waste disposal site selection as a case study and the city of Bonab has been chosen as the
study region. This city has located in the southern part of East Azerbaijan Province, at 46':52" eastern longitude and
37':20" northern latitude. The topographic situation of the region, ecologic and economic problems with the current
location of the waste disposal site (such as its neighboring with faults, its proximity to surface waters and industrial
establishments and the steep slope of the area) have been the reasons of study. These issues necessitate thorough
investigations for waste disposal site selection in this region. The focus of this research is on demonstrating the
application and the importance of geomorphic studies in planning. We have considered geomorphic factors and sub-
factors like rock, soil, slope, faults and unstable lands. In addition, ecologic and socio-economic factors and the element
of hydro-climate have also been considered. Using digital maps of the region and GIS software (Arc View and ArcGIS),
we have tried to determine the most appropriate waste disposal site with the least ecological, social and economic
threats. Using this method, we have selected 9 appropriate sites for waste disposal. The aim was choosing an optimum
solid waste site. The site proposed is located on the south-east of the city, 7 km from Malekan.

© 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of The 2nd International Geography Symposium- Mediterranean Environment

Keywords: Geomorphology; Site Selection; Urban planning; Urban Waste; Landfill; Bonab.

1. Introduction

Geomorphology is one of the basic policies of urban planning, as a result of this, issues of cities need
geomorphological planning. To achieve goals such as reduction in natural disasters and improvement in
life’s quality, geomorphological planning is recommended. Geomorphological planning is a vigilant action
which provides the best morphological solution. That is to determine the best position to establish lasting
monuments and other valuable places [1].
In geomorphological planning natural phenomena (geomorphology) sometimes act as a negative factor
and sometime act as a positive factor; through site selection process Dynamism of natural environment such

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +98-21-2225-2044; fax: +98 21 8876 4113.

E-mail address: [email protected].

1877–0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of The 2nd International Geography Symposium-
Mediterranean Environment Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.05.183
 Zahra Adeli and Alimohammad Khorshiddoust / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 19 (2011) 662–667 663

as flood, earthquake, wind, faults and slope must be highly considered [2].
In this survey landfill sites are selected as one of the urban issues and we tried to choose the best place for
landfill using geomorphological knowledge. Site selection and finding appropriate place for landfill is one of
the most important parts of municipal solid waste management system and on the other hand,
geomorphology science, considering its nature which is concerned with source and change of earth shapes
and their formation process or combination of constitutive materials, [3] has an important role in site
selection. Several factors are involved in choice of appropriate place for sanitary landfill of municipality
solid waste that each of them is important enough not to be omitted and determines limitations in site
selection. The most important of these factors are geomorphology related factors such as: bedrock, unstable
lands, soil, fault, slope and geohydrology. In addition to the geomorphology criteria, other different factors
such as depth of groundwater, climate condition, environmental factors, road network, land use and etc. are
also involved in landfill site selection. The ultimate purpose is finding the best place with the less adverse
effects on the natural environment around the landfill site.

2. Study area

The study area for landfill site selection is Bonab. This city is located in the southern part of east
Azerbaijan province in Iran; at 46':52" eastern longitude and 37':20" northern latitude. This city has
historical and cultural background. The population of Bonab is 70,000. Today, due to existence of good
weather, university and job opportunities, this city has become the center of population in area [4].
Population growth and change in consumption pattern have caused the increase of trash production of city.
There is no suitable method for Bonab’s waste disposal. As shown in fig. 1, currently solid waste of city
accumulates on the ground surface at different points around the city

Fig. 1. Accumulation of city solid waste Fig. 2. Accumulation of leachate and pollution of
groundwater and surface water

These places have been chosen without research and knowledge about right parameters that have effects
on finding healthy landfill site; so these places respond to be only a temporary solid waste landfill centers.
On the other hand, locating the sanitary center for landfill site selection due to natural and environmental
characteristics of city is very painstaking and complex.
The topographic situations of the region, ecologic and economic problems with the current location of the
waste disposal site (such as its location on faults, its proximity to surface waters and industrial
establishments and the unsuitable slope of the land in the region) are problematic issues. These issues
necessitate waste disposal site selection in this region through investigations [5].

3. Materials and Methods

Considering the subject of research, first, we have used descriptive-historical research to study theoretical
topics based on experimental data. Then, we have used applied research method for studying and evaluating
complete case study. In next stage, based on the theoretical and empirical study, we have evaluated issues
related to municipal solid waste are effective factors in site selection sanitary landfill, natural, climatic and
structural characteristic,. At the final stage, after analysis of all the factors as experimental, we proceeded
site selection of sanitary landfill of municipal solid waste in the Bonab with using the GIS and digital maps
of Bonab, that shown in Table 1. [6]
Since the site selection of sanitary landfill of municipal solid waste involved vast information,
geomorphologist would face many information and parameters.
664 Zahra Adeli and Alimohammad Khorshiddoust / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 19 (2011) 662–667

Therefore, the perfect site selection of landfill needs data acquisition and processing them to determine
the appropriate place. It is time-consuming, expensive or perhaps impossible to use large amount of
information, acquisition, processing and saving information in site selection of landfill manually.
This matter force planners and Geomorphologist to use new computer tools exactly GIS. Nevertheless, in
the present place of landfill in Bonab, landfill method is traditional and open and some of environmental
criteria are not concerned. So this matter caused pollution of groundwater and surface water sources, air
pollution and loss of biological balance life in this area. It is a big problem; therefore, paying attention to site
selection of sanitary landfill is a requirement in Bonab.

Table 1. Flowchart of Process for find suitable place for Bonab solid waste landfill site selection

Defined goal
(Site selection)

Defined conceptual model and

identify the effective variables in
Determination factors the model
Access and privacy factors
Layers used to identify
Defining the layers of
information 1- Topography
2- Main and Subsidiary channels
Preparation of information 3- Slope
Maps required: layers 4- Geology
(Topography- geology- soil- groundwater)
5- Unstable lands
Geometric correction
6- Physical Development
Topology Defined function- 7- Fault
Definition layer system- (UTM) Integration layers
8- Earthquake Seismicity
Manufacturing Database.
9- Vegetation
10- Wind direction
11- Communication Network
Geoprocessing: Buffering Identity, 12- Groundwater soil
To obtain suitable locations
union, intersect
13- Residence areas
Spatial analysis

Desirable Undesirable
END Evaluation and revision

4. Discussion

Disposal of solid waste always have been one of the primary problems of the municipal services [7].
Several factors are involved in optimal landfill site selection. In addition of that Location of Landfill site has
direct effect on design, operation, utilization and type of facilities and equipment which might use. On the
other hand, this site selection can be located under the programming environment and logistics land branch
of science [8].
To locate landfill site, in the first step, criteria and standards of that must be identified and considered.
(table 2).
In the next step, we need some parameters define to digital layers for using in ArcGIS software and doing
necessary actions to find optimized places [9].
The focal point of this research is demonstrating the application and the importance of geomorphic
studies in planning. We have considered geomorphic factors and sub-factors like rock, soil, slope, faults and
unstable lands. In addition, ecologic and socio-economic factors and the element of hydro-climate have also
been considered. Using digital maps of the region and GIS software (Arc View and ArcGIS), we have tried
to determine the most appropriate waste disposal site with the least ecological, social and economic threats.
 Zahra Adeli and Alimohammad Khorshiddoust / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 19 (2011) 662–667 665

[10]

Table 2. Effecting region of sanitary landfill municipal solid waste parameters [11]

Site Selection Parameters Properties

Slope Must less than 30 degree
Groundwater Depth must more than 10 meter
Surface water Minimum: 600 m distance from the surface water
Wind direction Must not to be in prevailing winds.
Precipitation Placed in minimum rain fall
fault minimum distance: 100m from faults and fractures
Soil Impermeable soil is better, Silt clay unacceptable.
Bedrock Igneous rocks, Sedimentary rocks, Metamorphic rocks and impermeable and dense
without fault are suitable
Flood Must not to be submergible
Topography Must be in flat area
Depth of soil layers Must greater than 10 meters depth
Distance from residential areas least distance 4-5 and maximum distance 20 km from cities
Ecological sensitivity Vegetation cover, wild life, protected area and rare species must not threatened.
Land use in future and now Must be compatible with other uses of land in future and now
Landfill outspread Must be use in 15 to 20 next years
Accessing Roads Width of road must be more than 7 meters, the traffic of roads must be low
Privacy shield in natural It is better to be in the place with natural brakes
landscape
Infrastructural facilities Water, electricity and other necessary facilities are provided.

With respect to effective parameters and their restrictions in site selection, first we must prepare the
digital layers of table 1, parameters. Then related parameters digitized. These digital layers include:
x Topographic map of study area.
x Slope of study area
x Geology maps (fault and rock type)
x Soil type
x Population center
x Vegetation cover
x The network of roads
x Groundwater and surface water and so on
These digital layers are prepared in 1:25000 scale suitable for work in the ArcGIS software and desired
functions can be imposed on them.
Series of action that imposed on the digital layers are listed below:
x Geometric Correction: Geometric correction purpose is adjustment of exiting phenomenon over map
with reality in ground. After scan, paper maps are without coordinate system. Therefore it is necessary to
identified (x, y) of map quadrangle with respect to georefrenced methods were identified and then saved
with used format in system. For having done the job, it is necessary to have control points. With using
control point we can estimate other existing pixels upon scanned map. This work named resembling.
Digital maps have (x, y) coordinate.
x Topology: the mean of topology is that we can create location relationship between geographical
phenomenon and real world at GIS map. Digital map should change to raster format. At raster state
relationship between cells and its neighborhood are next to each other. Given cells dimension and first
cell coordination, other cells coordinates identified.
x Project system: project system is a mathematical change for presentation of circular surface over flat
map. Different data layers which used in GIS environment should presented with same project system.
Since site selection is a painstaking and precise action determining of distance and accurate location of
phenomenon characterize project system of maps is essential. UTM Project system and maps ellipsoid of
WGS84 UTM zone 38 was selected.
x Informational layer structure and entering information to GIS environment: After these steps, it is
essential to have exiting phenomenon upon maps as database which were saved in system. Thus, first Geo
data base at GIS environment was defined and then in Geo data base requirement informational layers at
666 Zahra Adeli and Alimohammad Khorshiddoust / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 19 (2011) 662–667

UTM project system was defined.

Buffer Distance: Function was used for determining phenomenon buffer which using information
mentioned at table and buffer distance informational layers were extracted.
x Fault buffer
x Buffer from surface water
x Buffer from roads
x Buffer from area with vegetation cover
x Buffer from power lines
Geomorphologists role in urban planning can be summarized as: perfect recognition of area, current
geomorphological processes assessment, future geomorphological processing forecasting. [12]

5. Results

After perfect interpretation of landfill site selection now we can perform it in Bonab area. For do this,
first mentioned standards and limits upon digital layers should applied for finding permissive locations.
After incorporation layers together and observing necessary standards locations which have idealistic
condition were recognized. From these locations those which have area less than 27.5 hectare were
eliminated and others were divided to 9 primary regions. These regions were numbered in.

Fig. 3. Result of compose of effective layers on landfill site Fig. 4. Suitable places for selecting landfill site
selection.

6. Conclusion

With respect to final map, suitable locations for landfill sites were identified. These locations set of
factors (geomorphological, environmental, hydrological and economical) were determined with spatial
differences in the frame of different informational layers in model with using Arc GIS software were
analyzed.
These research findings clearly show the use of geomorphology science in addressing the problems in
urban planning. Often geomorphological processes do not show themselves in normal condition and they
remain invisible and a change in the condition causes an unpleasant event.
It should be considered that environmental effects and loss of lives and financial damages to rural and
urban area due to lack of attention to knowledge and geomorphic information at urban planning is more
sensible in case of damages and catastrophes.
Nowadays geomorphology in urban issues is more important and role of geomorphology directors in
industrial and residual centers urban site selection is not ignorable.
 Zahra Adeli and Alimohammad Khorshiddoust / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 19 (2011) 662–667 667

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