City Eyes Cross-Regional Cooperation to Handle Air Pollution

Jakarta Provincial Government through Environmental Agency continues to strengthen air pollution handling efforts with cross-sectoral and regional strategies.

cross-regional cooperation is crucial

This is run in response to Jakarta's air quality which often worsens due to various factors, both local and regional.

Jakarta Environmental Agency Head, Asep Kuswanto said the decline in air quality in Jakarta is not only influenced by activities within the region, but also by meteorological conditions and contributions from surrounding agglomeration areas, such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, and Cianjur.

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"Air pollution in Jakarta is influenced by human activity and meteorological factors such as wind, temperature, and weather. Therefore, cross-regional cooperation is crucial," he said, Tuesday (7/15).

Based on the emissions inventory, he added, the transportation and industrial sectors remain the two main sources of air pollution in Jakarta. Therefore, the Jakarta Provincial Government is currently focusing on controlling emissions from these two sectors through a number of concrete steps.

"The strategic steps we have taken are promoting the use of mass public transportation, requiring motor vehicle emission tests accompanied by law enforcement especially for heavy vehicles, and strict supervision of industry, such as conducting continuous emission measurements in industries that have the potential to pollute," he added.

Jakarta Environmental Agency also continues to promote reforestation, control waste burning, and explore the implementation of Integrated Low-Emission Areas (KRE-T) to sustainably improve air quality.

According to him, changing public mobility behavior, such as choosing to walk, cycle, or take public transportation, is also an important part of the long-term solution.

Jakarta is now starting to encourage concrete cooperation with its buffer zones to jointly reduce emissions, particularly from the industrial sector, whose activities contribute to air pollution in Jakarta.

Jakarta Provincial Government also cooperates with the central government, including the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Home Affairs, to facilitate this cross-regional cooperation.

"We will continue intensive coordination with the surrounding local governments. We will discuss the sources of pollution and develop joint actions to control it," he stated.