Jakarta is the World’s Most Polluted City

Have you felt any pollution recently? Are you comfortable with the current air?

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According to CNN, Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, is the most polluted city in the world, news that comes just days after Swiss company IQAir released data showing that Jakarta's air quality has worsened in recent weeks to become the worst in the world. Ministers in the Southeast Asian nation confirmed this week that President Joko Widodo has been battling a cough for weeks and suggested this may be linked to worsening air pollution in the city of 10 million. Sandiaga Uno said doctors were still diagnosing the cause of Jokowi's cough, but added that it may be related to the worsening air quality. The next day, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin also said that the president was battling a cough and said that his ministry was stepping up tests on the general population to see if there had been an increase in lung and respiratory diseases such as asthma in heavily polluted areas.

Air pollution has long plagued the Greater Jakarta area, with factories, coal-fired power plants, and traffic congestion all contributing to the haze, according to experts. In 2019, a group of 32 citizens launched a civil lawsuit against Jokowi, widely known as the President of Indonesia, and several members of his cabinet, alleging that he had failed to take action to control air pollution and uphold their rights to clean air. However, in recent weeks, the air quality in the capital has been particularly bad, deteriorating to the worst in the world, according to data provided by IQAir, a Swiss-based air quality technology company. On August 9, Jakarta topped the list of most polluted cities after recording "unhealthy" levels of air pollution almost every day, the company said. Jakarta has consistently been among the top 10 most polluted cities in the world since May, IQAir said.

“Air pollution is a serious problem in Southeast Asia,” said political analyst Bridget Welsh from the University of Nottingham.

“While there have been improvements in Jakarta (in areas like) public transportation, these need to be ratcheted up along with better enforcement against (fossil fuel) burning and regulated vehicle use,” Welsh said.

She said that while the government planned to relocate the capital to Nusantara, in East Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo, this move was still years away and would not solve the pollution problem.

“Moving to a new capital will only offset the issue temporarily,” Welsh said. “The health costs of Indonesia’s air pollution are serious and cannot be underestimated.”

We as Indonesians must be more aware of our environment, we must have a sense of caring for the environment where we live, for example: 

First, minimize air pollution from cars. Road transportation is one of the largest emitters of oxides of nitrogen. Oxides of nitrogen are a closely monitored air pollutant with adverse effects on healthy lung development and overall life expectancy. 

Second, take good care of your wood stove or fireplace. If you have a wood-burning stove or fireplace, make sure to keep it well-maintained. When burning firewood in a wood stove, incomplete combustion often releases particulate matter of very small size (less than 2.5 micrometers). These tiny particles are the most harmful to our respiratory tract as they can easily enter deep into the lungs, and due to their small size, they can even enter the bloodstream. 

Third, Recycle and buy recycled products. You should start by mining raw materials. The mined materials then need to be transported, cleaned of impurities, processed and refined until they can finally be turned into the desired product. 

Fourth, Eat local and organic produce & eat less meat. A very important step to take regarding your consumption patterns is to eat less meat. You may have already heard about the significant greenhouse gas footprint of the modern livestock industry. By going meatless for a few days a week or eating a maximum of 90 grams of meat a day, you will reduce air pollution and even benefit your health. 

Lastly, plant a tree. Trees around your home and neighborhood help reduce air pollutants significantly. Researchers from the University of Southampton measured the ability of trees in London to remove particulate pollutants from the air. Trees planted along roads or on the border of your property also slow down polluted air from being carried away by the wind. You can think of it as a protective shield formed by the tree canopy. In this way, trees prevent air pollution from spreading over long distances. Then, they gradually filter out the pollution at the spot without giving it much chance to pollute the surrounding areas.

References:

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/16/asia/indonesia-pollution-jokowi-cough-intl-hnk/index.html

https://greentumble.com/10-ways-to-prevent-air-pollution

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