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US embassy, Jakarta cooperate to monitor air quality
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US ambassador to Indonesia Robert O. Blake Jr. stands in front of the PM 2.5 Air Quality Meter (AQM) located at the US Housing Complex in Central Jakarta. (thejakartapost.com/ Liza Yosephine)
U
S Ambassador to Indonesia Robert O. Blake Jr. on Tuesday introduced one of two newly installed PM 2.5 Air Quality Meters (AQMs) to the press at the US Housing Complex in Central Jakarta.
The AQMs will be used to specifically measure fine particulates, smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, as WHO says these particularly affect health, the ambassador added. The second meter has been installed at the warehouse in South Jakarta.
"60 percent of the population of Jakarta suffer from air pollution related health side-effects," Blake said, in reference to data from a study conducted by Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2013.
In addition to close cooperation with the ministry, the EPA also works at the city level in collaboration with the city administration on a program called "Breathe Easy Jakarta", he continued.
"And through that program we provide training, we provide various kinds of analysis and research, all of which is designed to better understand and provide effective control of air pollution here in Jakarta," Blake said.
The measurement data is accessible and can be monitored in real time on the US embassy website online, through a link provided to the EPA worldwide data. Similar monitoring projects are also implemented in 24 embassies around the world, including Vietnam, China, Mongolia and Kosovo, said Blake.
Environment and Forestry Ministry's air pollution control director Dasrul Chaniago said there are also 14 similar government-owned tools around Jakarta. Five of the monitors provide real-time feed while nine others are manual, he continued, adding that they monitor PM 10, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide.
"Data from the past three years have shown that air quality in Jakarta is improving," Dasrul said.
The ministry's data categorization of air quality levels indicates that "healthy" days have consistently risen between 2013 to 2015, recording 4, 12 and 43 days consecutively each year.
Meanwhile, "unhealthy" days have conversely reduced, with record showing 181, 90 and 64 consecutively.
When compared to other cities throughout the world monitored by the EPA using the same PM 2.5 monitoring system, Dasrul cited data that he obtained on April 29 which puts Central Jakarta at number 72 and South Jakarta at 77. New Delhi sits at number 222, Hanoi at 159 and Bangladesh at 152, he continued.
Dasrul said the government will continue to improve air quality, including steps such as improving emissions standards. He referred to the government's recently lodged ministerial regulation of Euro 4, a rise from the current Euro 2 emission standard, which is yet to be signed.
Dasrul said the emission standard improvement is hoped to make a better impact on air quality since studies have shown that the biggest contributor to air pollution is motorized vehicles.
If the regulation is implemented this year, it will take effect in two years, forcing all vehicles produced from 2018 onward to abide by Euro 4. While vehicles currently produced to Euro 2 standards can continue until 2020. (bbn)
