Adaptation of EVIAVE methodology to landfill environmental impact assessment in Uganda – A case study of Kiteezi landfill

The Kiteezi landfill is the only landfill in Uganda, and it is currently facing significant environmental and sustainability challenges. The comprehensive quantification of the landfill's impact was needed to guide decision making regarding management and remediation. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the environmental impact of the Kiteezi landfill on the surrounding water bodies, soil, flora, fauna and air and to identify suitable management options. An environmental diagnosis was conducted using the EVIAVE (Evaluación del Impacto Ambiental en Vertederos) methodology with adaptation to Uganda's socioeconomic conditions and legal requirements. The results showed that the Kiteezi landfill is located in an environmentally sensitive area for surface water, groundwater, atmosphere and soils, making conservation of these elements of most significant concern in this landfill's immediate environment. All values of the Environmental Risk Index due to operation (ERIo) were higher than those due to the landfill siting (ERIs), indicating that the landfill's continued operation will create more environmental problems. The overall probability of contamination for each element was high, apart from human health and soil, which had a very high probability (>0.8). Human health had the highest (4.688) ERIo, followed by the atmosphere with an ERIo of 3.571, while flora had the lowest ERIo of 0.926. The high values of ERIo, coupled with the exceeded landfill capacity, indicate that it is not environmentally friendly to continue operating the landfill. Hence, the most sustainable course of action is its closure.