Jakarta's air quality ranks third worst in the world on Sunday

Jakarta’s air quality on Sunday morning fell into the unhealthy category and ranked as the third worst city for air quality in the world. Based on data from the IQAir air quality monitoring site at 05:57 WIB, the air quality index (AQI) in Jakarta stood at 168, categorised as unhealthy, with PM2.5 air pollution and a concentration value of 80 micrograms per cubic metre. This level indicates that the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups, as it can harm sensitive humans or animals, or cause damage to plants and aesthetic values. The site also recommended that people avoid outdoor activities. If outdoors, wear a mask and close windows to prevent dirty outside air from entering. The good category is a level of air quality 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 is air quality that does not affect human or animal health but affects sensitive plants and aesthetic values, with a PM2.5 range of 51-100. The city with the worst air quality in first place was Kinshasa (Congo) at 193, second was Kampala (Uganda) at 176, fourth was Lahore (Pakistan) at 166, and fifth was Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) at 154. The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has prepared a rapid response to tackle air pollution in the capital during the dry season, which is predicted to occur from early May to August. The rapid measures for handling air pollution during the dry season include improving the air quality monitoring system and motor vehicle emissions testing. In addition, the DKI Provincial Government also has an Air Pollution Control Strategy (SPPU) that is being evaluated from various aspects, ranging from PM2.5 trends and emission loads per sector to its impact on public health. According to the DKI Provincial Government, air pollution control cannot be carried out partially by one area, so integrated joint action is needed between regional apparatus organisations and cross-regional collaboration around Jakarta.