Jakarta Environment Agency Head Asep Kuswanto said the deteriorating air quality in the capital in recent months was driven by the dry season which will be at its peak in July-September.
“This results in poor air quality,” Asep said in a press conference at the Environment Ministry office, on Friday, August 11, 2023, as reported by Antara.
Asep explained that his agency has prepared three strategies to deal with the current conditions and weather. The first strategy is to issue policies and regulations. The second strategy is to intensify emission tests and encourage the use of public transportation.
The last strategy is to advise people to check the air quality before doing outdoor activities via Jakarta Kini (JAKI) app, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), or the Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU).
Asep said the environmental agencies of Greater Jakarta or Jabodetabek have signed a commitment to reduce air pollution by conducting vehicle emission tests. “We also urge residents to take preventive measures to reduce the impact, such as by wearing masks, limiting outdoor activities, and so on,” he added.
On the same occasion, BMKG’s Acting Deputy for Climatology Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan said that air quality tends to increase during the dry season, as it has in previous years. There was also the inversion layer in urban areas during the dry season which causes the air to be colder in the lower layer, leading to worsening air quality.
