Jakarta Tops World's Worst Air Quality Ranking on Monday Morning
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Air quality in Jakarta on Monday morning fell into the unhealthy category and ranked first as the city with the worst air in the world.
Based on data from the IQAir air quality monitoring site at 06.05 WIB, Jakarta’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 180, placing it in the unhealthy category, with PM2.5 pollution at a concentration of 96 micrograms per cubic metre.
This figure indicates an air quality level that is unhealthy for sensitive groups, as it can harm humans or sensitive animal groups, cause damage to plants, or affect aesthetic values.
The site also issued recommendations regarding conditions in Jakarta: residents should avoid outdoor activities, wear a mask if going outside, and keep windows closed to keep out dirty outdoor air.
The good category, by contrast, refers to an air quality level that has no effect on human or animal health and does not affect plants, buildings or aesthetic values, with a PM2.5 range of 0-50.
The moderate category refers to air quality that does not affect human or animal health but does affect sensitive plants and aesthetic values, with a PM2.5 range of 51-100.
The city with the second-worst air quality was Kinshasa (Congo) at 168, followed by Lahore (Pakistan) at 167, Kampala (Uganda) in fourth place at 153, and Johannesburg (South Africa) in fifth at 132.
The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is preparing a rapid response to tackle air pollution in the capital during the dry season, which is predicted to occur from early May through August.
The rapid measures to address air pollution during the dry season include improving the air quality monitoring system and vehicle emissions testing.
In addition, the DKI Provincial Government has an Air Pollution Control Strategy (SPPU) currently being evaluated across various aspects, from PM2.5 trends and emissions loads per sector to their impact on public health.
According to the DKI Provincial Government, air pollution control cannot be carried out by a single region in isolation, requiring integrated joint action among regional apparatus organisations as well as cross-regional collaboration with areas surrounding Jakarta.