Data for Spatial and Seasonal Mapping of Riverine Solid Waste Hotspots Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imaging, Field-Based Waste Characterization, and Geographic Information Systems

AbstractSolid waste leakage in river systems has emerged as a growing environmental concern in rapidly urbanizing cities, particularly in developing regions where land-use intensity and hydrological connectivity contribute to waste transport into aquatic environments. This study mapped the spatial distribution and estimated load of riverine solid waste across selected river systems in Bacolod City, Philippines, using an integrated approach combining Waste Analysis and Characterization Study (WACS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imaging, Global Positioning System (GPS) georeferencing, image-based area quantification through Fiji/ImageJ, and Geographic Information System (GIS)-based spatial analysis. Lupit River served as the reference system for deriving land-use-specific waste density coefficients, which were subsequently extrapolated to Mandalagan River, including the Pulo tributary, Magsungay River, and Sum-ag River under wet versus dry seasonal conditions. Results revealed that waste hotspot formation was consistently concentrated within commercial and residential land-use zones characterized by dense urban development, continuous human activity, and highly concreted surfaces. Seasonal differences were observed, with wet conditions associated with broader spatial dispersion due to runoff-driven transport, while dry conditions showed more localized accumulation in low-flow river segments. GIS-based hotspot mapping and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) further identified spatial clustering of waste accumulation in urbanized and downstream river sections across all systems. The study demonstrates the applicability of integrating UAV-based mapping, WACS, and GIS-based extrapolation for scalable assessment of riverine solid waste and provides a reproducible framework for spatial prioritization of waste management interventions.