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Why we need to act now for Jakarta’s population health
Even with the COVID-19 lockdown reducing air pollution globally, Jakarta’s air stayed as polluted as ever.
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Smog blankets Jakarta’s skyscrapers on Monday, August 19, 2019. Air pollution in the city is among the worst in the world. (JP/Donny Fernando)
O
n Sept. 16 Jakarta citizens won the right to breathe clean and healthy air. On that day, the Central Jakarta District Court ruled the government was liable for air pollution and had failed to ensure a healthy living environment in the city.
This civil lawsuit, filed by 32 Jakarta citizens against President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, three ministers and the three governors of Jakarta, Banten and West Java, took two years to complete. During that lengthy process, Jakarta citizens kept breathing air containing high levels of hazardous pollutants. The government thus has no excuse not to act now.
The court has instructed the defendants to improve the national air quality standard to protect the environment, the ecosystem and humans’ health, including the health of sensitive populations. It has further ordered Jakarta, Banten and West Java provincial administrations to control the interprovincial emissions better.
The landmark decision came after so many delays due to several reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Now execution of the court ruling may face a delay if the defendants appeal – and they will.
From the population’s health perspective, however, we must not postpone actions in compliance with the court ruling for several reasons.
First, air pollution affects a much wider range of health conditions. Adverse health effects from short- and long-term air pollution exposure range from premature deaths caused by lung and heart disease to severe asthmatic conditions, which could lead to reduced life span and quality of life.
Jakarta, home to more than 10 million people, consistently ranks as one of the most polluted cities in the world.
