Landfill Final Cover Systems Design for Arid Areas Using the HELP Model: A Case Study in the Babylon Governorate, Iraq
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This is a careful modelling study of landfill cover designs that may be installed in an arid area. The alternatives have been chosen carefully and the modelling has been carried out using a well-established procedure.
As well as guiding local practice, this paper should be useful for other arid zone locations where it is important to prevent water access to landfill wastes.
I have made some suggestions for changes to wording in the attached file.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
Dear Reviewer
Thank you for your comments.
We did the corrections required and they are marked in yellow color.
Thank you again for your comments.
Nadhir Al-Ansari
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The manuscript entitled “Landfill Final Cover Systems Design for Arid Area Using the (HELP) Model: A case study Babylon Governorate, Iraq”, by A.Chabuk, N.Al-Ansari, K.Alkaradaghi, A.M.Al-Rawabdeh, J.Laue, H.M.Hussain, R.Pusch & S.Knutsson, presents an interesting work.
In general, the manuscript should be acceptable for publication but some serious problems must be repaired prior to publication. It needs some significant improvement. Some suggestions are as follows:
What do you mean with the term Governorate? Do you mean province? Governorate is the building in which is housed the government or the Governor or the Prefect. Please check it.
The English language usage should be checked by a fluent English speaker and/or a professional language editing service. It is suggested to the authors to take the assistance of someone with English as mother tongue.
Please follow the journal author instructions. It would be useful for the reader to follow the classical text structure (i.e. Introduction-methodology-results-discussion-conclusions). A better presentation of your results and an EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION would improve your paper.
Please use different terms in the “Title” and the “Keywords”.
Please provide figures (especially maps) with better quality (resolution). I cannot read these maps.
I think that you could enrich the scientific literature of the paper.
Please justify convincingly why this manuscript (method, thematology etc) connected with Sustainability’s content and scope. Perhaps the using of proper literature from this journal would be helpful.
I suggest to the authors to use more international references.
I propose to the authors to be more specific, explanatory and simplified in order to be easily understandable from the readers.
It would be useful to be described the aim of this paper.
The authors could make a discussion about the suitability estimation by using multi-criteria methods in the introduction. See the following publication:
- Bathrellos et al. 2017. Suitability estimation for urban development using multi-hazard assessment map. Sci Total Environ, 575: 119–134.
Also looking for ideas from the selection among scenarios from the following publication:
- Tsolaki-Fiaka et al. 2018. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for an Abandoned Quarry in the Evros Region (NE Greece). Land, 7 (2): 43
Correct references in the text and the reference list according to the journal’s format. Please format the references’ list by using the correct journal abbreviations.
See the following link: http://images.webofknowledge.com/WOK46/help/WOS/A_abrvjt.html
14. Please mention in the end of each reference in which language it is written every reference (except English references) (eg in Chinese).
Please be careful with the spaces between the words.
Please be careful with the capital letters in the beginning of a sentence. Eg in the reference list
Author Response
Dear Reviewer
Thank you very much for your comments.
Please note that we did what is required and they are marked in green color.
Thank you again for your comments.
Best regards.
Nadhir Al-Ansari
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
The manuscript entitled “Landfill Final Cover Systems Design for Arid Areas Using the HELP Model: A case study in the Babylon Governorate, Iraq”, by A. Chabuk, N. Al-Ansari, K. Alkaradaghi, A.M.M. Al-Rawabdeh, J. Laue, H. M. Hussain, R. Pusch and S. Knutsson, presents an improved and good work.
In general, the manuscript should be acceptable for publication in the present form.