Optimum landfill site selection by a hybrid multi-criteria and multi-Agent decision-making method in a temperate and humid climate: BWM-GIS-FAHP-GT

The novel application of a new hybrid method of Geographic Information System (GIS), Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) and game theory has been investigated for landfill site selection in Guilan province, which has a temperate and humid climate. The data utilized in the study were mostly obtained from satellite images and local organizations. Three main categories of environmental, social and economic impacts comprising fourteen criteria, based on the sustainability of a landfill location, were analyzed. Criteria weightings were obtained using the Best-Worst Method (BWM) and then a suitability map was produced by GIS analysis. Moreover, the restrictions for an airport (8 km), historical and touristic areas (3 km) and the border of the province (2 km) were applied. The result of the GIS was then analyzed using game theory (GT) in order to study the interactions of decision makers. In order to apply the new criteria for the game theory, a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) was used to find the weightings of five new criteria, which have been used for players’ payoffs. The most optimum location (site A₁) was investigated and found to be near rural areas of the study region which could cause inevitable harm to the adjacent communities. Furthermore, only 2.47% and 0.78% areas of the Guilan province is in the “most suitable region” and “suitable region” classes, respectively; which raises the awareness of finding a sustainable approach for saving the environment rather than the landfilling.