BMKG Monitors Air Quality to Mitigate Pollution and Forest-Fire Haze

Clean air is everyone’s right, including people who work and live in city centres and communities that face daily exposure to pollution and the effects of forest and land fires.

Dr Dwi Atmoko, head of the Air Pollution Information Team at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency’s (BMKG) Applied Climate Services Directorate, said air quality is affected by many factors, including weather and climate.

“That is why BMKG provides air-quality forecasts through official government channels, so people can monitor conditions and be better prepared to adjust their activities,” Dwi said in a statement on Monday (26 October 2026).

BMKG often works with other stakeholders, including the Jakarta Provincial Environmental Agency and the Bicara Udara foundation, to monitor air quality, particularly in Jakarta.

The collaboration was seen at the 2026 MyBCA Jakarta Running Festival (JRF), where BMKG, Bicara Udara, the Jakarta Provincial Environmental Agency, the festival’s medical director and a respiratory specialist jointly monitored air quality during the event.

They encouraged the public to view air quality not merely as a factor affecting daily activities and sporting performance, but also as a health issue and a basic right that must be defended collectively.

As JRF 2026’s air-quality partner, Bicara Udara co-founder Novita Natalia said running was an activity familiar to many people, but they also needed to recognise that the air they breathed was not always clean.

“Through our collaboration with JRF, we want to help runners understand air-quality information and make it part of their preparations. We also want to convey that clean air is a necessity and a right for everyone, wherever they live,” Novita said.

As part of its efforts, Bicara Udara introduced several initiatives to improve runners’ understanding of air quality and broaden awareness of communities affected by air pollution.

These included the launch of the educational booklet “Run Smart, Breathe Easy: An Air Quality Guide for Pelari Kalcer”, air-quality monitoring around the event venue, and a solidarity campaign for communities in Kalimantan and Sumatra.