In many developing countries, the final disposal of municipal solid waste remains an environmental and public health problem due to the use of open dumpsites without technical planning or environmental control. Similar conditions have been reported in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where inadequate waste disposal contributes to groundwater contamination, surface water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, and health risks for nearby communities. Studies conducted in India, Ghana, Jordan, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Ecuador, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Peru, and Central Asia have highlighted the importance of geographic information systems (GIS) and multicriteria analysis for improving landfill site selection and supporting sustainable waste management. This is the case in the municipality of Arbieto, Cochabamba, Bolivia, where only one community has a reconditioned dumpsite that does not meet technical or sanitary standards. To address this situation, a GIS-based multicriteria model was applied using ArcGIS software, considering variables such as slope, hydrology, geology, vegetation cover, accessibility, land use, productive potential, groundwater recharge zones, protected areas, and distance to populated centers. The model integrated environmental, technical, geological, hydrological, and social criteria to identify suitable areas for final waste disposal. The selected areas present suitable slope conditions, adequate separation from rivers and populated centers, favorable geological and lithological characteristics, and compliance with environmental protection requirements. The results confirm that combining spatial analysis and multicriteria evaluation is an effective strategy for landfill planning in rural municipalities. The study concludes that the municipality of Arbieto should prioritize implementing a controlled sanitary landfill in the selected areas to improve environmental management and reduce the impacts associated with open dumping. The proposed GIS-based multicriteria methodology may also serve as a replicable planning tool for rural municipalities in Bolivia and other regions facing similar solid waste management challenges.