The appearance of the Jakarta sky covered in fog due to pollution (source: detik.com)

ITS Campus, ITS News – Since last month, Jakarta residents have again been forced to make friends with the fog of pollution which is getting thicker every day. Not only does it disrupt activities, but the accumulation of air pollutants also threatens the safety and health of the masses.

Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Arry Febrianto SSi MT, said that this recurring phenomenon occurs because pollutant emissions released exceed the capacity of the environment. This makes the environment unable to recover naturally. “The pollutants then undergo a changing reaction with sunlight in the atmosphere and then form a thick fog as seen in the skies of Jakarta recently,” he explained.

Based on data from Vital Strategies, the annual average concentration of PM2.5 pollutants in Jakarta is four to five times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards. According to the man who is familiarly called Febri, this figure shows the high level of pollutant concentration in this area. This can cause health damage such as acute respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and even premature death.

Reviewing the resolution steps taken by the DKI Jakarta Government, Febri admitted that several things could be highlighted. One of them is spraying water on streets and tall buildings. According to Febri, even though it is considered to not affect society, this step is good because it can minimize pollutants that come from road dust. City road pollution alone contributes around 1 – 6 percent in the rainy season and 9 percent in the dry season to pollution in Jakarta.

Environmental researcher and lecturer at the ITS Environmental Engineering Department, Arry Febrianto SSi MT

Another policy currently in effect is Work From Home (WFH) or moving the workplace to home. Febri said the significance of the influence of this step needs to be calculated to find out how big its influence is. This calculation involves empirical data regarding the number, type, and proportion of vehicles used by the DKI Jakarta Government’s State Civil Apparatus (ASN) to the total number of vehicles in the country’s economic center.

Meanwhile, regarding the procurement of electric vehicles which is being widely discussed, Febri admitted that this step could be a solution to reduce emissions on the roads. However, the use of coal which produces high emissions as a fuel source for power plants cannot be immediately ignored. “It is necessary to review the rules and policies so that they do not just transfer pollution from roads to power plants,” he warned.

In connection with prevention efforts from the community side, Febri appealed to the public to be wiser in their use of energy. Promoting the use of public transportation, reforestation, and sorting and processing waste must continue. “The community can also help minimize the carbon footprint of product distribution by increasing the use of local products,” he said.

On the other hand, Febri said, the government should improve strategies for controlling air quality from both moving and stationary sources. According to him, a continuous real-time emissions monitoring program can also be made more practical by digitalization. Not only that, increasing quality standards as well as regulations, and law enforcement as well as increasing the energy transition to new and renewable energy are also needed.

Febri reminded us that air pollution is not only found outdoors but also occurs indoors. According to him, the public needs to know the sources of pollution around them and how to minimize them. The synergy between society and government in improving environmental quality is needed to improve environmental quality. “The earth is our home, so let’s protect and care for it together,” said Febri. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Shafa Annisa Ramadhani