Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in Indonesia have increased by more\nthan 50 percent since 2010, driven by the expansion of transport,\nindustry, power generation, and mining activities. A study by the Centre\nfor Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) also identified 29 NOx\nemission hotspots across various regions of Indonesia, ranging from\nurban areas to industrial centres and nickel downstreaming hubs.<\/p>\n
The rise in emissions has the potential to increase the formation of\nground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that can be\ninhaled by the public. CREA\u2019s mapping shows that pollution sources are\nnot only located in major cities but have also spread to industrial and\nmining areas outside urban centres.<\/p>\n
In its report \u2018Mapping the invisible: a satellite reveal of\nIndonesia\u2019s NOx hotspots\u2019, CREA mapped 29 NOx hotspots using satellite\nremote sensing. This figure is three times higher than the nine hotspots\nidentified in a previous global study.<\/p>\n
CREA analyst Katherine Hasan said NOx pollution in Indonesia is a\nproblem involving multiple sectors. In addition to transport as mobile\nsources, there are stationary sources such as coal- and gas-fired power\nplants, industrial estates, and nickel downstreaming complexes.<\/p>\n
\u2018The results of this mapping show that the distribution of nitrogen\noxide emissions in Indonesia extends far beyond vehicle emissions and\nurban activity,\u2019 Katherine said in a statement on Thursday\n(13\/8\/2026).<\/p>\n
The report divides the 29 hotspots into four main groups: urban areas\nadjacent to power plants and industry, large industrial estates in small\ntowns, nickel processing areas, and mining.<\/p>\n
Nine hotspots are located in densely populated cities such as Greater\nJakarta, Surabaya, and Medan. These areas have high vehicle activity and\nare close to fossil-fuel power plants.<\/p>\n
Another nine hotspots are located around cement and paper factories\nin rural coastal areas and urban fringes in Java and Sumatra. North\nJakarta and the Outer Bekasi area occupy the top two positions as NOx\nhotspots, followed by Suralaya in Banten in third place and West\nKarawang-Cikampek in sixth.<\/p>\n
These four hotspots also contribute to an airshed with chronically\nhigh pollution levels in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. In\naddition, five hotspots stem from coal mining activities in Kalimantan,\nwhile six others are concentrated in coal-based nickel downstreaming\nareas in Sulawesi and North Maluku.<\/p>\n
CREA noted that captive coal-fired power plant capacity to support\ncoal-based nickel processing has increased more than sixfold since 2019,\nfrom 3 gigawatts to 16 gigawatts. This increase has pushed NOx emissions\nin Sulawesi and North Maluku to exceed emissions across the entire\nGreater Jakarta area.<\/p>\n
\u2018This mapping shows that the burden of air pollution is no longer\nconfined to urban areas. Communities in rural areas living around\nindustrial and mining centres now bear severe health risks, with\nemission levels that often match or even exceed those of Indonesia\u2019s\nlargest cities,\u2019 Katherine said.<\/p>\n
Exposure to NOx can affect the respiratory and cardiovascular\nsystems. In the atmosphere, the gas can also react to form ground-level\nozone and fine particulate matter PM2.5, which risk worsening air\nquality.<\/p>\n
Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Indonesia\u2019s\nFaculty of Public Health and ISER UI researcher Budi Haryanto explained\nthat exposure to NOx and PM2.5 can affect respiratory organs and the\ncardiovascular system, particularly among vulnerable groups such as\nchildren and the elderly living near high-emission areas.<\/p>\n
\u2018To prevent a surge in the national health cost burden and protect\nthe productivity of future generations, the government must tighten air\nquality standards in line with WHO and place health impacts as the\nprimary consideration in every energy and industrial policy,\u2019 he\nstressed.<\/p>\n
The CREA report also notes that Indonesia\u2019s annual ambient air\nquality standard for NOx remains five times more lenient than the World\nHealth Organization (WHO) guidelines. This condition leaves the public\npotentially exposed to pollutant concentrations deemed unsafe by global\nhealth standards.<\/p>\n
CREA\u2019s analysis shows that some emission hotspots remain outside the\nreach of official monitoring stations. This situation is considered\nlikely to leave health risks and environmental impacts on communities\naround emission sources inadequately monitored.<\/p>\n
CREA urged the government to improve data transparency and\nenvironmental accountability through a publicly accessible air quality\nmonitoring system. Such a system could integrate satellite data,\nemission reports, and industrial chimney measurement results.<\/p>\n
The data could also be used as an early warning system when pollution\nspikes occur. CREA also encouraged the adoption of Best Available\nTechnologies (BAT) in the main emission-contributing sectors.<\/p>\n
Senior Advisor and Co-Founder of Nexus3 Foundation Yuyun Ismawati\nsaid air pollution is no longer solely an urban problem. According to\nher, the increase in industrial activity and nickel processing means\nattention to air quality needs to be extended to industrial and mining\nareas.<\/p>\n
\u2018The struggle of residents in the Jakarta Air Pollution Lawsuit\nteaches that real change occurs when the public cares and takes action.\nToday, the problem of air pollution extends to various regions of\nIndonesia, from industrial areas in Java to nickel processing centres\nsuch as Weda Bay,\u2019 Yuyun said.<\/p>\n
Yuyun believes the government and industry need to open up emissions\ndata so that the public can know the air conditions around their homes.\nAccording to her, reducing NOx emissions requires the involvement of\ngovernment, industry, and the public.<\/p>\n
\u2018Clean air is a basic human right that must be guaranteed by the\nGovernment, and together we can protect it,\u2019 Yuyun said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesias-nitrogen-oxide-emissions-surge-50-29-pollution-hotspots-detected-1786593162", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }