Jakarta Develops Integrated Air Quality Data Information Feature

To facilitate the public to find information related to air quality in Jakarta, the Jakarta Environment (LH) Agency is developing the Jakarta Low Emissions website by creating an air quality data information channel that combines monitoring data from all monitoring devices in Jakarta.

This is very helpful for them to stay informed about pollution levels in their surroundings in real-time

LH Agency Head Asep Kuswanto said the public could get air quality data from eight monitoring devices spread across Jakarta.

"They can find air quality data near them without looking at different channels," he said, Tuesday (3/22).

Low-Emission Zone Applied in Kota Tua

He explained that the new feature of the Jakarta Low Emissions website showed air quality data consisting of particulate matter pollutants (PM2.5, PM10), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NOx), Carbon Dioxide (CO), and ozone (O3) from eight monitoring devices throughout the Jakarta area.

"This is very helpful for them to stay informed about pollution levels in their surroundings in real-time," he explained.

Further, the air quality data itself was from the Air Quality Monitoring System (AQMS) which was installed with an automatic active method and a passive sampler.

"The air quality monitoring stations (SKPU) are automatically placed at five strategic locations and work continuously for 24 hours calculating pollutant concentrations," he continued.

According to him, those five locations represented land use and administrative areas for the downtown area (Central City), commercial areas (Kelapa Gading, Lubang Buaya, and Kebun Jeruk), and residential areas (Jagakarsa).

The website also provides data from monitoring stations operated by the US Embassy (Hang Jebat and Tugu Tani) and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Gelora Bung Karno).

He added the new air quality map would make it easier for people to get information about air quality in the area where they live.

"It also helps the Jakarta administration to target solution interventions," he added.

As for the information, it can be accessed on the https://rendahemisi.jakarta.go.id page, which is the result of a collaboration between the administration with Vital Strategies and Bloomberg Philanthropies, which was launched last November.

The administration has been collaborating with Vital Strategies since 2019 in the case of the Jakarta Clean Air Partnership program in a bid to tackle air pollution in Jakarta by increasing the availability of air quality data, analyzing policy solutions and their effectiveness.