Application of Remote Sensing in Monitoring Urban Solid Waste Landfills in Rivers State

Monitoring the expansion and environmental impacts of urban solid waste landfills is a critical requirement for environmental management authorities in South South Nigeria. This study applies remote sensing to monitor the Rumuola and Igbo-Etche landfill sites in Rivers State using multi-temporal Sentinel-2 imagery from 2019 to 2023. Landfill footprint areas are delineated by digitising active waste surfaces from each annual image composite. Change analysis quantifies the rate of landfill expansion and estimates remaining operational capacity. Leachate plume detection using spectral indices including the Salinity Index and Normalised Difference Water Index identifies zones of potential groundwater contamination adjacent to landfill boundaries. NDVI reduction in buffer zones around landfills is used as a proxy indicator of vegetation health degradation from landfill gas and leachate exposure. Results confirm progressive expansion of both facilities beyond approved boundaries, with Igbo-Etche landfill exceeding its designed footprint by 17 percent. Keywords: landfill monitoring, remote sensing, Rivers State, solid waste, environmental monitoring