Contribution To The Development of The Collection And The Transfer Processes of Solid Waste In Lattakia City Using Geographical Information Systems

The process of collecting and transporting solid waste is the first and fundamental issue in the management of solid waste as it is the most economically expensive operation, in which its expenses in the process of system of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) reaches about 60-70% of the total expenditure. This process starts from placing waste in containers till unloading these containers in transportation vehicles and then carry them to transfer stations or final disposal sites. The fees of collection and transportation can be reduced through the selection of the optimal path, and thus obtaining many economical benefits. In this research, the applications of geographical information systems (GIS) have been used in order to choose the optimal route for waste collection, transportation and transference in the city of Lattakia, Where a database has been designed which included mainly the streets, bridges and tunnels, it also included residential areas serviced by waste containers, and the process of linking them to each other took place by using the techniques of GIS in order to choose the best economical and timetable ways for the traffic of vehicles to collect and transport the waste, which contributes practically and effectively in improving the activities of municipal solid waste management in this city.