Landfills as anthropogenic landforms in urban environment from Neamt county

Abstract

Landfills are the most common and easiest methods to dispose the municipal waste in Romania and still prevails in current waste management options. This type of critical infrastructure was designed to dispose urban waste generated over years or even decades and ultimately led to create new landforms in urban landscape. On the other hand, these sites are major sources of complex pollution unfulfilling EU regulations, being scheduled to be closed. This paper aims to analyze landfills as anthropogenic landforms by applying GIS techniques emphasizing them in a geographical context and not only in situ. The location of these sites usually on alluvial plains of rivers leading to positive landforms that may change hydrogeomorphology dynamics or to be exposed to the floods. The other side, their location in hilly or mountainous regions increase vulnerability to other geomorphological process (gully erosion, landslide). Also, the extension of human settlements and land use is influenced by the presence of such a site either it is closed. The implications of these landforms are varied and must be linked to geographical realities from around. Thus, the mapping of these anthropogenic landforms contribute to a better understanding of the systemic interactions from local environment. This approach may be an important tool for EIA studies, in the process of rehabilitation, post-monitoring and reintegration of these landfills.