Sunday Morning, Jakarta's Air Quality Is The Worst In The World

Illustration of air pollution in Jakarta (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Air quality in Jakarta has again become an international spotlight because it is ranked the top as the city with the highest air pollution level in the world this morning. Based on data from the air quality monitoring site IQAir on Sunday, August 13 at 06.00 WIB, the air quality index (AQI) in Jakarta reached 170, indicating that the air in this city is in the "unhealthy" category due to high air pollution particle matter (PM2.5). This monitoring site also confirms that Jakarta currently occupies the peak position as the city with the worst air quality worldwide. After Jakarta, other cities that are also experiencing serious problems related to air quality are Dubai (UAEA) and Johannesburg (South Africa). Some areas in Jakarta have even reached a "very unhealthy" category with air quality index beyond 201. Examples are East Cilandak with 206 and Kebayoran Lama numbers with 206. Head of the DKI Jakarta Environment Agency (DLH), Asep Kuswanto, has explained that the deteriorating air conditions in recent times are mainly due to the ongoing dry season. "July to September are typically the peak of the dry season. Therefore, air pollution levels have become higher and have an impact on poor air quality," said Asep in a press conference at the Directorate General building of Environmental Pollution and Damage Control, East Jakarta, Friday. In an effort to address this issue, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has formulated three main strategies. First, they will improve environmental governance by implementing various policies and regulations to control air pollution. Second, efforts to reduce air pollution emissions are also the focus. One of the steps is to intensify testing of motor vehicle emissions as well as to encourage the use of public transport. Third, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government urges all citizens to monitor air quality conditions by using applications in accordance with national standards, such as Jakarta Now (JAKI), Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), or the Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU). With these steps are expected to reduce the adverse impact of air pollution and improve air quality in Jakarta.