6 Jokowi's Directions For Overcoming Jakarta Air Pollution: Working On Hybrids To Additional Green Open Space

Illustration of air pollution in Jakarta (ANTARA)

YOGYAKARTA President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Monday, August 14, 2023 held a Limited Meeting (Ratas) regarding improving air quality in the Jabodetabek area. During the meeting, Jokowi's direction was to overcome Jakarta's air pollution.

It is known, On Sunday, August 13, 2023, the air quality in the capital city of Jakarta again occupies the first position as the city with the worst air in the world.

Based on data from the IQAir air quality monitoring site 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).

1. Working on a hybrid

President Joko Widodo said it was necessary to encourage a hybrid work system to reduce air pollution in Jabodetabek, which in the past week was categorized as very bad.

"If needed, we must dare to encourage many offices to carry out hybrid working, work from office, work from home maybe. I don't know later from the agreement at this limited meeting, whether (work hours) 7-5, 2-5, or other numbers," said Jokowi when starting a limited meeting on air pollution at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, driven from Antara.

2. Weather engineering

According to Jokowi, the causes of DKI Jakarta pollution include long drought, increasing concentrations of high pollutants, disposal of emissions from transportation, and industrial activities.

Therefore, Jokowi instructed the handling in the short, medium and long term.

In the short term, Jokowi asked for weather engineering to provoke rain.

"In the short term, interventions must be carried out as soon as possible that can improve air quality in Jabodetabek better. Then also weather engineering to provoke rain in the Jabodetabek area, and implement regulations to accelerate the application of the Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions limits, especially in Jabodetabek," said Jokowi.

3. Emission restrictions

Furthermore, Jokowi ordered the acceleration of the implementation of emission restrictions. The instructions were immediately responded by the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi.

Budi said the DKI Provincial Government would encourage the shift in the use of fuel for private vehicles. Heru wants high cc vehicles to use fuel with RON 98.

"For example, 2,400 cc must be Pertamax Turbo, so we all people must be disciplined about it," said Heru.

4. Ask residents to use mass transportation

Jokowi said that the medium-term solution that can be run is to reduce fossil-based vehicles. In this regard, Jokowi appealed to residents to prefer mass vehicles.

"In the medium term, consistently implementing policies to reduce the use of fossil-based vehicles and immediately switch to mass transportation. I think this month the LRT will be operationalized soon, the MRT will also be operational, then the high-speed train next month," said Jokowi.

5. PLTU supervision

President Joko Widodo also ordered supervision of the industrial sector and steam power plants around Jabodetabek.

Just so you know, in the Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL), there are around 39 new Coal PLTUs that will be built with a capacity of 13.8 gigawatts or 43 percent.

In addition to causing pollution, the addition of PLTU is also predicted to produce 83 million tons of carbon emissions per year during 2021-2030 which will have an impact on increasing geothermal temperatures or global warming.

6. Expand green open space

Finally, Jokowi asked for additional green open space in Jakarta. In this regard, Heru Budi Hartono as Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta claims that his party has added green open space since the end of 2022.

"From October to now, we have added 800 locations and the next is that we have planted 216 thousand trees with a minimum of 3 meters," said Heru.

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