1) The document discusses using GIS technology to propose an appropriate location for a new waste management plant in Kandy, Sri Lanka. 2) Key factors for selecting a site include distance from populated areas and water bodies, low population density, infrastructure access, and minimizing public opposition. 3) Based on an analysis of these factors, the document recommends establishing the new waste management plant in Heeressagala, an unpopulated, deforested area away from water catchments.

1. WASTE MANAGEMEENT PLANT FOR
KANDY USING GIS
Kasun Aththanayake
University of Kelaniya
Sri Lanka

2. What is GIS…..?
A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing,
checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth’s surface. GIS can show many different kinds
of data on one map. This enables people to more easily see, analyze, and understand patterns and
relationships.
With GIS technology, people can compare the locations of different things in order to
discover how they relate to each other. For example, using GIS, the same map could include sites that
produce pollution, such as gas stations, and sites that are sensitive to pollution, such as wetlands. Such
a map would help people determine which wetlands are most at risk. GIS can use any information that
includes location. The location can be expressed in many different ways, such as latitude and longitude,
address, or ZIP code.
Many different types of information can be compared and contrasted using GIS. The
system can include data about people, such as population, income, or education level. It can include
information about the land, such as the location of streams, different kinds of vegetation, and different
kinds of soil. It can include information about the sites of factories, farms, and schools, or storm drains,
roads, and electric power lines.
GIS in ecology
Environmental biology compares, contrasts, and brings together many disparate areas.
Though most graduates will enter into a niche role in more traditional areas (such as zoology, botany,
microbiology, ecology, conservation) it is this discipline that allows those experts to understand the
wider impacts and implications of the environment on their niche area or vice versa. GIS aids ecology
in the following areas:
 The study of land use change
One of the most important factors in ecology is in mapping how a landscape changes over
time. With growth of human settlement and the need to preserve an ever-growing area of land, as well
as to protect delicate areas, there is a strong increase in the use of GIS in forestry and mapping those
natural areas legally protected under conservation laws. There is a great example of a study in the
Philippines where deforestation on Sibuyan Island was mapped with GIS. Mapping tree loss is important
to measure climate change and for managing working forests.
 In understanding habitat connectivity
This means the study of how biological elements of a landscape work together, affect each
other and are affected by changes to environmental conditions. Every action, such as cutting down trees
for farmland, even cutting trees for new planting can affect mosses, animal life, the amount of ground
water, the level of tree cover and much more.
 Protecting environments and delicate ecosystems
Environmental protection is one of the areas to have adopted GIS fairly early. There is
often a lot of data generated, even in a small area, with competing points of view and interests. In a
protected environment, plant specialists will often be in disagreement with herpetologists, with
ornithologists and so on.

3.  Evolutionary biology
Since Charles Darwin first explained the Theory of Evolution in 1859, the natural sciences
experienced extraordinary growth in our understanding of the natural world. There is not a biological
science untouched by evolutionary theory. Recently, we have come to understand that one of the major
forcing of evolution is environmental adaptation. GIS is an underused tool in plotting evolutionary
change but that is changing.
Selected application – Propose an appropriate location for waste management plant in
Kandy.
Figure 1 - Satellite image of Kandy
Kandy is second only to Colombo as the center of the Sri Lankan economy. It is the
second-largest city of the island and the capital of Central Province of Sri Lanka. Many major
corporations have large branch offices in Kandy and many industries include textiles, furniture,
information technology and jewelry are found there. Many agriculture research centers are located
throughout the city. Kandy is one of the eight world heritage sites in Sri Lanka. Also it is one of the
major places where tourists are attracted mostly. The scenic beauty and the ancient pride lead the tourist
attraction and also the floral and faunal diversity throughout the area are added values to that.
Though it is a much important city, nowadays it faces a growing problem of Wastes.
Despite the persistence of solid waste disposal problem in Kandy for over quarter of a century or more,
Kandy does not have a proper solid waste disposal system. All it does is to collect its solid wastes from
the points of generation to dump it on a dumping ground. The generated Solid Wastes from the Kandy
Municipal Council (KMC) are dumped at Gohagoda Solid Waste Dump Site adjoining the country's
longest river 'Mahaweli Ganga'. The leachates leaving the solid wastes pile have found their way into
the waters of 'Mahaweli Ganga'.

4. Figure 2 - Current waste management area in Gohagoda
The authority body of the waste management in Kandy is Kandy Municipal Council
(KMC). The daily solid waste collection within the city limits is around 100 tons. Basically it belongs
to the wet zone. According to the KMC the composition of the waste accumulating is as follows,
 Bio degradable (short term) 61%
 Bio degradable (long term) 16%
 Glass 07%
 Paper 07%
 Metal 05%
 Polythene and plastics 02%
 Others 02%
Figure 3 - Waste composition in KMC
Due to the continuous waste landfilling in the currently managing area, it needs another
waste management plant and proper process to manage the accumulating waste. The possible actions on
the matter are,
 Capacity Strengthening
 Waste Minimization
 Waste Collection Improvement
 Environmental Education
 Landfill Improvement

5. Factors consider in establishing a new waste management plant
 Distance from the KMC and public places
 Distance from the catchment areas and water bodies.
 Population distribution in the selected area
 Public reactions of the area
 Infrastructures facilities of the area
Distance from the KMC and public places.
The selecting area should be away from the public places such as schools, hospitals, banks,
bus and railway stations etc. The distance of the selected place should be easy to reach from the
municipal council which is the waste collecting authority body. This makes low costs to the waste
transportation for vehicles.
Considering the Kandy, there are lots of public places inside the city such as general
hospitals, schools, government offices, police station, business places, business malls, hotels, religious
places and leisure parks etc. Nearly 200,000 of people are used to come to Kandy city for their needs.
Therefore the selecting area should be away from the Kandy city.
Figure 4 - Satellite image of location of Kandy Municipal Council and public places in Kandy city
Distance from the catchment areas and water bodies
The waste management plant should be much for away from the catchment area and the
water bodies. This due to avoid the accumulation of pollutants to the water bodies. This is the most
important criteria due to Kandy is consists of many catchment area which plays more important role in
the ecology. The main water body in Kandy id Mahaweli river and its branches such as Piga oya. Most
of the branches of Mahaweli river which is close to the Kandy has polluted by the improper waste
removing system. The accumulating of the pollutants to the such water bodies has high influence to
occur many problematic situations. Mostly this may be cause for the health impacts such as Dengue
fever, food born decreases etc.

6. Population distribution in the selected area and public reactions.
When establishing a waste management plant in some area, the selected area should be
have a low population. This is due to avoid the economic, political and social problematic situations.
When establishing a new project in some area the community may not prefer to the decisions due to
early incidents that has happened occur near the waste accumulated area such as in Mithotamulla ( May
in 2017). Also community may resists due to the health issues occurring from the pollutants.
Therefore the authority body should be have a proper plans to avoid these irritations by
acknowledging community and political behaviors in the area by organizing various programs and
making inspection committees including the community and knowledgably people in this field.
Considering the population density there will be lots of circumstances when finding a low
populated area much near to the Kandy city due to the high population.
Infrastructures facilities of the area
The selected area should be consists of acceptable infrastructure facilities such as roads,
electricity, water supply etc. Also these areas should be easy to reach in a case of emergency such as
fire, erosions etc.
Ratings of the factors
Table 1 - Ratings of the factors
Factor Rating
Distance from the KMC and public places 10 %
Distance from the catchment areas and water
bodies.
30 %
Population distribution in the selected area 25 %
Public reactions of the area 25 %
Infrastructures facilities of the area 10 %
Suggested area
According to the ratings of the factors the best place to establish a waste management plant in Kandy is
in the Heeressagala (7.262155, 80.622865) (figure 5).This section was done due to the absence of water
bodies and the catchment area. Low population and lack of the public places. This selected area is a
deforested area by human activity. Although this is a mounted area the waste management plant can be
established applicable to the geography of the area. There are two other places which can be used as a
land for the waste management plant but two of these places are close to the two Buddhist and Muslim
religious places. Therefore those places has to be rejected. These can be identified by a proper feasibility
studies.

7. Figure 5- Selected area for the waste management plant
References –
 https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/geographic-information-system-gis/
(10/06/2017)
 http://www.environmentalscience.org/environmental-biology-gis (10/06/2017)
 http://www.saitm.edu.lk/fac_of_eng/RSEA/SAITM_RSEA_2012/imagenesweb/23.pdf
(10/06/2017)
 https://www.google.lk/maps/@7.2621635,80.6242234,709m/data=!3m1!1e3 (10/06/2017)