"These devices will provide more accurate data of pollutants that affect the quality of air that we inhale," Head of Jakarta Environment Office Asep Kuswanto said at the commemoration event of the 2023 World Environment Day and the 496th Anniversary of Jakarta here on Sunday.
The new devices support various efforts of the provincial government in maintaining Jakarta's blue skies and improving the air quality and the health of its residents.
Kuswanto said the installation of the devices is the result of the strategic partnership between the Jakarta government and the World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia under the Clean Air Catalyst (CAC) program.
The global partnership is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and a consortium consisting of WRI Indonesia and Vital Strategies.
He explained that the three devices will be installed in stages in areas that do not yet have adequate air quality monitoring coverage.
The locations where the devices will be installed are West Jakarta Mayor's Office, East Jakarta Mayor's Office, and a port area that includes the IPC Pelindo building in North Jakarta.
According to him, the new devices will also measure the level of particulate matter (PM), small particles that can be inhaled and cause serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, and asthma.
Apart from that, the devices will measure the level of black carbon, short-lived climate pollutants that warm the planet and harm human health, as well as carbon monoxide and other harmful pollutants.
"Up-to-date meteorological instruments will also be utilized to measure the conditions of weather and wind that have significant impacts on the city's air quality," he said.
After passing the validation process, data from the devices will be made available to the public through the Jakarta Environment Office website, Jakarta Kini (JAKI) platform, and other relevant public platforms.
In addition to the three devices, the quality of four Air Quality Monitoring Stations (SPKU) spread in residential areas in North Jakarta, East Jakarta, West Jakarta, and South Jakarta will be improved.
Based on the IQAir website, as of Sunday, Jakarta's air quality index stood at 159, with PM2.5 -- a fine particulate matter that causes various short-term and long-term health impacts-- as the main pollutant.
Air quality is considered good if the index stood in the range of 0-50.
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Translator: Siti Nurhaliza, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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