TheJakartaPost
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Jakarta’s long fight for healthier air persists
More than 10 million Jakartans went through a suffocating 2023 as they gasped for healthy air amid the worsening air pollution in the capital. Residents and civil society groups have urged the government to work seriously on coordinated efforts to prevent more pollutants from dirtying up the city, with a recent win for a citizen lawsuit on Jakarta's air pollution a good place to start.
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An aerial taken shows Muara Angke harbor in North Jakarta shrouded by thick haze on Dec. 13, 2023. The air quality in Jakarta has been repeatedly categorized as "unhealthy" for sensitive groups due to pollution coming from various sources, according to data from Swiss-based technology company IQAir. (Antara/Iggoy el Fitra)
T
he year 2023 marked a choking battle for Jakarta against worsening air pollution as the capital recorded highly unhealthy air quality for several months, with authorities urged to work harder this year on data transparency and more coordinated action to solve the problem once and for all.
Jakarta persistently ranked among the 10 most polluted cities globally and even topped the chart for almost a week in August, according to data from Swiss technology company IQAir.
On the morning of Aug. 30, for example, Jakarta’s air quality scored 177 or “unhealthy” based on measurements from the tech company. At the same time, the concentration of PM2.5 fine particulate matter, the main pollutant found in Jakarta’s air, reached 105.1 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of air, more than 20 times the safe level recommended by the World Health Organization.
Data from various researchers and organizations, including a statistical model from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) in 2020, showed that pollution over the capital came from transboundary pollutants coming from coal-fired power plants and industrial areas around Jakarta.
The study found wind was blowing substances from these plants, such as PM2.5 and nitrous oxide, toward the city, choking the more than 10 million people living in it.
The government mainly blames vehicle emissions as the major cause of the city’s smog. But authorities have not fully disclosed their data.
Aside from making the sky hazier, the spike in pollution is also suspected of contributing to 100,000 cases of acute respiratory infections on average every month throughout last year, according to Jakarta Health Agency epidemiological surveillance and immunization head Ngabila Salama.
