Erni Pelita Fitratunnisa, head of pollution and environmental damage control at the Jakarta Environment Office, said the city has drafted several anticipatory steps to address worsening air quality during the dry months.
She said the measures were first formulated several years ago but have not yet been formalized into a regulation.
“We once prepared 10 quick response steps to address air pollution. However, as air quality improved in 2024 and 2025 — and hopefully this year as well — we have not yet turned them into a formal policy,” Fitratunnisa said.
Despite the absence of a legal framework, the city plans to reapply several rapid-response measures during the upcoming dry season.
These include strengthening the air quality monitoring system and intensifying emission tests for motor vehicles, which are considered a major contributor to pollution in the capital.
One of the mitigation measures previously implemented is the use of water mist spraying systems to reduce airborne particles.
The system disperses fine water droplets into the air to help trap pollutants and reduce particulate matter levels.
Fitratunnisa said the technology has already been installed in a number of buildings across Jakarta as part of the city’s pollution control efforts.
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“So far, water mist systems have been installed at 100 locations across the city,” she said.
In addition to short-term measures, the Jakarta administration is evaluating its broader Air Pollution Control Strategy, known locally as SPPU.
The evaluation covers multiple factors, including trends in PM2.5 pollution, emission loads from various sectors and the impact of air pollution on public health.
“The strategy is currently under review. We are examining which activities are the most effective in addressing Jakarta’s air pollution,” Fitratunnisa said.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency has warned that the country’s 2026 dry season could be longer and relatively drier than conditions recorded in 2025.
The agency forecasts the dry season will begin in April in about 114 seasonal zones nationwide before gradually spreading to other regions in May and June.
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Translator: Lia, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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