The problem of environmental pollution and health risks from unsuitable solid dumpsites is critical in urban areas in developing countries like Ethiopia. Butajira is part of a town in Ethiopia facing environmental pollution because of lack of dumpsites. The general objective of the study was to identify potential suitabl dumpsites in Butajira using the GIS-based multi- criteria decision analysis method (MCDAM). Sentinel 2 satellite image, digital elevation model (DEM), ground control points (GCPs) collected by a handheld global positing system (GPS), Google earth imagery, and field observation data were used for the study. Parameter such as land use land cover, soil, geology, proximity from boreholes, residential areas, protected areas, road networks, groundwater well-points, rivers/streams, and slope were used for selecting dumpsites in the study area. The weight of factors determined by AHP method and factor maps were developed in GIS environment. Finally, weight of factor’s suitability class map has been overlaid using GIS software to identify a potential dumpsite map. The result shows that 0.19% of the town area is very highly suitable for solid dumpsite. Out of the remaining 14.44% of the area is highly suitable, 50.32% is moderately suitable, and 34.4% is unsuitable. Having identified very highly and highly suitable areas, the study recommends that the municipal office considers them dumping sites. Greater capacity to use GIS and remote sensing technologies identify appropriate dumpsites could reduce environmental risks and human health problems.

Keywords: Analytical Hierarchy Process, Dumpsite, GIS, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Method, Solid Waste, Weighted overlay Analysis Introduction