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