Air pollution is a condition where the air has been contaminated by hazardous substances (pollutants) that affect human’s health should they surpass the suggested concentration. Outdoor air pollution (ambient) will affect human’s health as it is inhaled and absorbed into the body. Each type of pollution is caused by a different activity and affects our bodies and the environment in different ways.

Particles, gas and chemicals. The most important pollutant is the particle pollution or particulate matter (PM), particularly the 2.5 micron or PM2.5, that manifests as dust, soot, smog or smoke. Sources of PM include household fuel combustion, tobacco smoke, power generation from coal and fossil fuels, open burning of trash, agricultural waste and forests and lastly, motor vehicles. PM is emitted directly from fuel combustion and formed from reactions in the atmosphere.

Other pollutants include gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) formed by fuel combustion for heating, power generation, and in vehicle engines; sulfur dioxide (SO2) formed by combustion of sulfur-containing fossil fuels for domestic heating, power generation, and motor vehicles; ground-level ozone (O3) formed by photochemical reactions (reactions in the sunlight) between emissions from vehicles and industry (e.g. nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds); and carbon dioxide (CO2) formed by vehicles. For further information about air pollution, please visit this link.

 

Traffic-related air pollution creates a mixture of emissions from the combustion engines of motor vehicles, with diesel engines being among the most polluting. Particles from brake, tire, and road wear also contribute to traffic-related air pollution. Power generation and industry that rely on solid fuel or diesel generators to meet energy needs also create significant levels of particulate matter and black carbon into the atmosphere. Municipal and agricultural waste incineration in open fires or in outdated incineration facilities contribute significantly to outdoor air pollution. Also natural sources such as salt from sea spray, volcanic eruptions, and forest and grassland fires contribute to air pollution - though not often, the haze episodes make a substantial contribution to air quality throughout the year. Learn more at INSPIRE.

Air pollution is the biggest environmental health risk in the world and responsible for more than 6 million deaths in 2016. It also causes negative impacts on health and can harm countries in terms of economy and health costs. In 2016, air pollution caused more than 6.1 million symptoms of cardio-respiratory disease in Jakarta (equivalent to 12 symptoms per minute), with an estimated treatment cost of IDR 51.2 trillion (USD 3.9 billion). This burden does not take into account the lost productivity due to treatment and premature death. The real economic burden could be much higher. Regardless of the source, air pollution has a clear and devastating impact on human health. Exposure to high levels of particulate matter, both daily and over a longer period of time, is strongly associated with increased mortality and disease. In addition, particulate pollution at very low concentrations has been shown to have adverse health effects meaning there is no threshold for pollution that does not have negative health effects. Learn more at Toward Cleaner Air Jakarta.

Air pollution also contributes to the acceleration of global warming due to the increase in pollutants that remain in the atmosphere, and when it accumulates in the atmosphere, the Earth's temperature rises and traps heat like a blanket. Learn more at UNEP.

Air pollution can cause various health problems such as asthma, lung cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, as well as chronic and acute respiratory diseases. The smaller the particle, the deeper they can go deep into the lungs and spread to other organs (eg heart, brain, placenta) to cause chronic disease and death from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer and diabetes. The disease is included in the estimate of the global burden of disease. Air pollution pollutants such as PM2.5 also cause unnatural births and poor child health, potentially impairing well-being and productivity throughout the life span. Learn more at INSPIRE.

 

Source: Toward Clean Air Jakarta by Vital Strategies

The DKI Jakarta Environmental Service has 5 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (SPKUA), which are located at the HI Roundabout (DKI 1), Kelapa Gading (DKI 2), Jagakarsa (DKI 3), Lubang Buaya (DKI 4), and Kebon Jeruk (DKI 5). The results of air quality monitoring from these 5 points can be accessed by anyone via the JAKI application or the Dinas Lingkungan Hidup DKI Jakarta website. 
 

Knowing the source of pollution or pollutant is an important step to reduce pollution. A study or assessment of the identification of pollutant sources has been carried out in Jakarta, namely with a source-based approach and a receptor-based approach. These two methods complement each other to identify sources of air pollution, both from the transportation sector, industry, power generation, combustion, commercial, and others. DKI Jakarta through these studies has had reliable data to identify the estimated contribution of the main sources of air pollution.

DKI Jakarta uses two methods to identify sources of pollution, the first is using a Source-Based Approach Using Emissions Data, which involves creating an inventory of air pollution emissions by calculating the number of emissions released by known sources (such as transportation) in DKI Jakarta. This approach uses emission inventory data, meteorological data and chemical transport models to estimate the sources that contribute to ambient air pollution concentrations. The second method is the Receptor-Based Approach Using Air Filter Samples, where determining the source of pollution in a city is to collect a sample of ambient air filters, analyze the chemical composition of the sample, and match its chemical profile to emissions from various fuels. This complex technical approach relies on the capabilities of researchers and complex laboratory analyses.

Read the FAQ 'Where does Jakarta's air pollution come from? to find out the results.

Based on the emission inventory study conducted by the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency in 2020, the main source of air pollution in Jakarta is the transportation sector, especially for pollutants NOx (72.40%), CO (96.36%), PM10 (57.99%) ), and PM2.5 (67.03%). Meanwhile, the manufacturing industry sector is the largest source of pollution for SO2 (61.96%) and the second-largest contributor to NOx (11.49%), PM10 (33.9%), and PMs2.5 (26.81%).

These findings are consistent with a source apportionment study conducted by Vital Strategies, Bandung Institute of Technology and the Environmental Agency of DKI Jakarta in 2020 which used a receptor-based approach and sampled PM2.5 contribution during the rainy and dry seasons. This study found that from the sample collection locations, the largest PM2.5 contributor was the transportation sector, namely 32-41% in the rainy season and 42-57% in the dry season. This study also found coal burning, construction activities and open burning of PM2.5 sources in Jakarta. To learn more, read the article 'Finding Sources of Pollution in the Air through Source Apportionment'.

The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has carried out several activities to improve air quality in Jakarta through the installation of monitoring equipment, conducting studies on identifying sources of air pollution in Jakarta, policies for the transportation and industrial sectors, as well as policies that prohibit the burning of waste in open spaces. Read in the Action section to find out about the efforts of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government in improving air quality in Jakarta.

To find out that the air around us has been polluted, there are several standards that are applied, both daily and yearly. For daily or air conditions at that time, each country has a different index to inform the air condition at that time. In Indonesia, this standard is known as the Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU) for various important pollutants. The index describes the current state of air quality and recommended actions based on its health impact and is usually divided into several colors depending on the health recommendations. This index serves as a notification for people who want to do outdoor activities. The following are some indexes in the ISPU based on the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment:

In addition to the index, each country also has ambient air quality standards to determine the limits at which air quality conditions are still good for health or not good for health, both in the short term (daily or 8-hour) and long term (annual). In Indonesia, this ambient air quality standard is regulated in a Government Regulation with the following details:
 

Pollutant	Average time	Indonesia (PP 22/2021)
PM2.5 μg / m3	24-hour Annual	55 15
PM10 μg / m3	24-hour Annual	75 40
SO2 μg / m3	1-hour 24-hour Annual	150 75 45
NO2 μg / m3	1-hour 24-hour Annual	299 65 50
O3 μg / m3	1-hour 8-hour Annual	150 100 35
CO μg / m3	1-hour 8-hour	10.000 4.000

Climate change is the occurrence of significant differences in conditions or changes in climate, rainfall, or air temperature within a certain period of time. Climate change is also associated with global warming , where the average temperature of the earth increases, both due to natural factors and human activities. Learn more at NRDC.

Global warming is the driving force behind climate change. It refers to the overall warming of the planet over a long period of time and is driven by excessive emissions of greenhouse gases. Climate change includes global warming and refers to its effects. Warmer temperatures have affected our climate in various ways, changing weather patterns and consequently changing natural elements like air, oceans, forests etc. Learn more at NASA.

Air pollution and climate change are interrelated. Both are sourced from the burning of fossil fuels that emit emissions that are harmful to global warming and direct human health. Pollutants in the air also exacerbate air conditions in the troposphere where this affects the amount of sunlight that is reflected or absorbed by the atmosphere. In fact, some pollutants can make the earth warmer and cause global warming. These pollutants are called Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) or pollutants that affect climate change and are short-lived, including methane, black carbon (BC), surface ozone, and sulfate aerosols. Besides having an impact on global warming, these pollutants are also harmful to human health. Black carbon is important because it not only contributes CO2 which is a GHG emission, but is also a source of harmful pollutants such as PM2.5. Learn more at the Institute for Advanced Sustainable Studies and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

 
 

The climate crisis means more extreme weather, which means more damaged infrastructure, lives and livelihoods lost to storms, floods, and forest fires. More heat waves, droughts and erratic rainfall – and more crop failures that are worrying food security. Human health is also affected, from heart and lung disease associated with poor air quality to increasing rates of diseases transmitted by pests such as mosquitoes.

Jakarta is a region that is vulnerable to climate change. In the past few decades until now, Jakarta has experienced rising sea levels, changing rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures. If not addressed in the near future, the climate crisis in Jakarta will have direct consequences for the health and livelihoods of Jakarta residents and the Jakarta economy.

 
 

Although they seem to be two very different issues, climate change and air pollution are closely intertwined, so by reducing air pollution we are also protecting the climate. To achieve the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C, rapid reductions in CO2 emissions are absolutely necessary, but that alone will not suffice. The IPCC report states that deep emission reductions from non-CO2 climate determinants, particularly air pollutants, are also important. Reducing short-lived climate pollutants will benefit the climate and promote sustainable development by delivering better health outcomes through improved air quality, and ensuring that we avoid climate tipping points that will exacerbate long-term impacts. Learn more at Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

 
 

In line with national commitments, DKI Jakarta has developed the Climate Action Plan (CAP) and the Jakarta Ikhtiar as strategic documents and guidelines to achieve climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement (limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C). The actions included in the two documents will be implemented in the Jakarta area from now until 2050. DKI Jakarta also already has climate initiatives that are readily available throughout the Jakarta area such as sustainable transportation and mobility facilities, innovations for waste management, and the use of renewable energy for the environment. cities and green open space expansion and climate adaptation programmes. To learn more about climate action in Jakarta, please go to the Actions page on the Jakarta Rendah Emissions website.
 

Dealing with climate change and air pollution is not just about taking short-term precautions. Cross-sectoral collaboration is critical to achieving climate targets. The government and the private sector actually have a big responsibility to solve the issue with sustainable long-term control. The most important thing you can do is make sure the conversation about the importance of clean air and climate action exists in our society. The trick is to learn about climate change and climate initiatives and practice the basics of sustainability that you can do yourself, such as using public transportation or learning composting - then share the knowledge with family or friends around you.

To find climate initiatives that you can practice in your area or daily life, you can read the Articles link on the Jakarta Rendah Emisi website.