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.