As Dry Season Arrives, Bicara Udara Launches Air Pollution Knowledge Hub

The risk of declining air quality in the Greater Jakarta area is rising again with the arrival of the dry season. Drier weather conditions, minimal rainfall, and slower air movement can cause pollutants to accumulate more easily in the atmosphere. One pollutant of particular concern is fine particulate matter PM2.5. These very small particles are hazardous to health because they can be inhaled and enter the respiratory tract. Amid the public’s growing need for credible and easy-to-understand information about air pollution, Bicara Udara has launched a Knowledge Hub. The platform serves as an information centre that compiles research, data, policies, and guidance related to air quality in Indonesia. The Knowledge Hub can be accessed for free via https://bicaraudara.id/knowledge-hub/. The platform is designed as a learning space and open reference for the public, journalists, researchers, academics, and policymakers. Within it, Bicara Udara curates various publications from academics, research institutions, think tanks, international organisations, and data sources relevant to air pollution issues. Bicara Udara Co-Founder Novita Natalia said that information regarding air pollution in Indonesia is actually quite abundant. However, this information is still scattered across various sources, making it not always easily accessible in a practical way. ‘So far, information about air pollution in Indonesia has actually been quite plentiful, but it is still scattered in various places. As a result, the public, media, researchers, and even policymakers often struggle to find credible and easy-to-understand references on a single platform. Through the Knowledge Hub, we want to present a reference centre that can help the public access trusted data and research on air pollution more easily,’ Novita said via a written statement on Friday (26/6/2026). The launch of the Knowledge Hub is considered relevant to the dry season situation. During this period, an increase in pollutant concentrations in the air is more likely due to the lack of rain, which usually helps cleanse particles from the atmosphere. Hot weather exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon is also said to worsen exposure to air pollution. More stable atmospheric conditions cause pollutants to linger longer near the surface, potentially increasing health risks for the public. Besides providing access to journals and scientific publications, the Knowledge Hub also contains information on air quality policies, monitoring data, and best practices that have been implemented in various countries. Bicara Udara hopes the platform can become a reference for the public who wish to understand air pollution issues more comprehensively. The existence of this information centre is also expected to help make public discussions on air quality more evidence-based. ‘Tackling air pollution requires the involvement of many parties. We hope that this Knowledge Hub can become a bridge connecting research results and scientific data with the public’s information needs, so that discussions on air quality can be increasingly evidence-based and encourage the emergence of more effective solutions,’ concluded Novita.