More than two years ago, enough was enough for a group of residents of the Indonesian capital Jakarta. Together with a number of environmental organizations, they filed a lawsuit against President Joko Widodo, among others. They believe that too little is being done against air pollution in the city. The verdict is expected to come this week, after a long delay.
Various studies have shown that the air quality in Jakarta is poor. According to the World Air Quality Index the city ranks among the top 10 most polluted capitals in the world. In a report by the Air Life Quality Index uit 2019 states that the life expectancy of residents of Jakarta is on average 2.3 years shorter, due to the poor air quality.
There are several causes for this air pollution, says professor of air quality Guus Velders. “There is a lot of traffic and many people there use polluting cars and motorcycles. Also, the industry does not meet the requirements that we have in Europe, for example in the coal-fired power stations. In addition, lighting forest fires to create new farmland far outside Jakarta, also lead to air pollution in the city.”
According to Southeast Asia correspondent Annemarie Kas, who lives in Jakarta, the location of the city also plays a role. “Jakarta is low and sinks further and further away. And the wind is from the coal-fired power stations in the direction of the city. The dirty air remains like a blanket over Jakarta.”
There are several substances that determine the air quality, but the amount of particulate matter in the air, expressed in PM2.5, is the most important:
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