Air pollution costing RI $400m

Air pollution costing RI $400m

JAKARTA: Air pollution is costing Indonesia US$400 million a year -- a figure which could increase tenfold by 2010 unless steps are taken to improve the environment, the Asian Development Bank said Tuesday.

In a statement announcing a $700,000 grant to help improve air quality in two Indonesian cities, the ADB said urgent measures were needed to cut hazardous urban pollution levels which are among the world's worst

It said a combination of rapid urbanization and weak controls had made air pollution a significant urban health threat in Indonesia, more so for the poor, resulting in loss of productivity. -- AFP