An Interactive WebGIS Integrating Environmental Susceptibility Mapping in a Self-Burning Waste Pile Using a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Approach

Abstract

Mining activities promote resulting wastes, so coal mines are prone to release contaminants to the environment, namely to the soil and water. Therefore, the analysis of this type of risk is crucial in waste pile management. The São Pedro da Cova (Porto, Portugal) coal waste pile has been studied in recent years, with several data acquired from 2019–2021 under a research project using distinct methodologies. These results are now combined in a multi-approach method to estimate the environmental impacts of the waste pile and identify the contamination. With the integration of all the data in a Geographical Information System (GIS) environment, and to fulfill a scientific gap, this study aims: (i) to create a susceptibility map of contamination in the areas surrounding the self-burning coal waste pile in São Pedro da Cova, using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy AHP approaches; and (ii) to develop a webGIS application incorporating all the information acquired that can be useful for the residents of São Pedro da Cova and also to the decision-making public entities and researchers. The results obtained show that the contamination susceptibility is higher surrounding the abandoned mine, particularly along the waste piles and the corresponding runoff areas, which can be especially sensitive.

Mapping soil suitability using phenological information derived from MODIS time series data in a semi-arid region: A case study of Khouribga, Morocco

“…The integration of multi-criteria methods within GIS further enhances its capabilities by incorporating multiple factors and criteria into the decision-making process [ 21 ]. By incorporating multi-criteria methods into GIS, researchers can effectively analyze spatial data while considering multiple factors simultaneously [ 19 , 64 ].The integration of GIS and multi-criteria methods has led to significant improvements in a wide range of applications. Numerous studies have explored and validated the effectiveness of this integrated approach.…”

“…Soil suitability maps aim to offer practical solutions regarding the selection of land use by providing information on their agronomic potential [ 7 , 8 ]. Various methods and models have been used for soil suitability mapping, such as Linear Combination [ 9 ], Simple Limitation [ 10 ], fuzzy-logic modeling [ 11 ], the use of Artificial Neural Networks [ 12 ], Remote sensing [ [13] , [14] , [15] ], Machine learning [ 16 ], Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) [ 17 , 18 ], and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) [ 19 , 20 ]. Although AHP has some limitations, MCE and MCDA are still the most commonly used methods for soil evaluation, particularly on a small scale [ 21 ].…”

Delineation of suitable sites for groundwater recharge based on groundwater potential with RS, GIS, and AHP approach for Mand catchment of Mahanadi Basin

“…AHP integrated with geographic information system (GIS) provides the reliable spatio-temporal information of GPZs within the watershed 54 . Several researchers have reported on the use of GIS for delineation of GPZ to monitor and manage the groundwater resources 4 , 10 , 48 , 55 – 64 . As GIS helps to provides the spatial information and handle the big datasets.…”

Geospatial Analysis in Web Browsers—Comparison Study on WebGIS Process-Based Applications

“…Geographic and geoinformatic analyses are now common practices in the desktop environment, and they are used routinely. Similarly, web mapping applications have become so established that they are now part of the daily habits of millions of users [6] on a global, national and regional level within numerous settings [7][8][9][10]. The next step reflecting the evolution of WebGIS (such as the combination of GIS within the web platform) is the implementation of spatial features and advanced analysis directly into online map libraries [11].…”