Jakarta's air quality recorded as unhealthy on Saturday morning

Jakarta’s air quality was recorded as unhealthy, prompting advice for residents to avoid outdoor activities, according to the IQAir website on Saturday morning, with an update at 05.00 WIB. IQAir recorded Jakarta’s air quality at 172 points, with a PM2.5 pollutant concentration of 85.5 microgrammes per cubic metre, or 17.1 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) annual air quality guideline value. PM2.5 refers to particles smaller than 2.5 microns (micrometres) found in the air, including dust, smoke, and soot. Long-term exposure to these particles is linked to premature death, particularly in people with chronic heart or lung diseases. Current health recommendations related to the air quality, besides avoiding outdoor activities, include wearing masks, closing windows to keep out dirty outside air, and turning on air purifiers. Jakarta’s air quality today was recorded as the fourth worst in Indonesia, after South Tangerang with 223 points, Serpong with 220 points, and Tangerang with 183 points. Meanwhile, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is inviting Jakarta residents to take a tangible role in maintaining air quality through the collaborative #SatuLangkahDulu movement. The movement encourages all elements of society to start simple steps from their respective environments to realise cleaner and healthier air in Jakarta. On the other hand, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) stated that the challenge of controlling air pollution in Jakarta is increasingly complex due to the pace of urbanisation, massive city development, and the impact of global climate change combined with urban climate characteristics.