Dense smoke and gray skies have been seen every morning in Jakarta, the capital of the world's fourth most populous country, in recent months.
Jakarta regularly appears on the list of the most polluted cities in the world and occupies the last place in the ranking compiled by the Swiss company IQAir.
"In fact, the air quality situation in Jakarta has had many fluctuations in 2023," Asep Kuswanto, director of the Jakarta Environment Agency, said in a speech on Friday.
Indonesia is currently in the dry season, from July to September, when air pollution peaks. Air quality in Greater Jakarta is deteriorating due to dry air in the east of the country.
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The use of motor vehicles is also an important factor. Data from the Ministry of Environment and Forests shows that 44% of air pollution comes from transport and 31% from industry.
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Cases of respiratory diseases suspected to be linked to air pollution are increasing. The Jakarta Health Ministry also admitted that there was an increase in health problems caused by air pollution in 2023 compared to 2022.
"It's increased from 2022. And it's almost the same situation we found in 2019 and 2018 before the COVID-19 pandemic," said Dwi Oktavia, head of disease prevention and control. at Jakarta Health Agency.
To prevent further growth, "we need to actively use public transport and cycling," Oktavia said.
On Monday, President Widodo acknowledged that air pollution has been a problem in Jakarta for years. One of the solutions, according to Widodo, is to move the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara on the island of Borneo.
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Widodo's plan to relocate the capital was first proposed in 2019 and involves the construction of government buildings and housing in the seaport of Balikpapan, some 2,000 kilometers northeast of Jakarta.
“One solution is to reduce the freight in Jakarta so that some parts can be transported to Nusantara. And local transportation is key," Widodo said.
