Jakarta – Civil society organisations commemorate the one-year anniversary of the victory of a citizen’s lawsuit over the right to clean air on Friday (16/9), by taking action in front of the Jakarta City Hall. The coalition gathered to remind the Governor of Jakarta to immediately carry out his obligations to improve Jakarta’s air quality.
Greenpeace India recently released results of a research that showed the concentration of air pollutants in Jakarta is five times higher than the standard safe threshold. Of the five regions researched, namely Central Jakarta, East Jakarta, West Jakarta, South Jakarta, and North Jakarta, none shows an annual average value of PM2.5 according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), namely 5 g/m³ per year. The report entitled ‘Different Air Under One Sky: The Inequity Air Research’, showed that the five regions of Jakarta exceeded WHO recommendation by 7.2 times.
Greenpeace Indonesia’s Climate and Energy campaigner Bondan Andriyanu said that most Jakarta residents, including vulnerable groups, did not realise that they had to breathe air with pollutants above the safe threshold. “At the provincial level, it is estimated that 93% of the total population in Greater Jakarta is exposed to air with PM2.5 levels five times higher than the safe threshold. This is the worst in Indonesia,” he said in a written statement, Wednesday (7/9).
Furthermore, this report also reveals the fact that people belonging to vulnerable groups (women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and so on), especially those who are socially and economically marginal, have no choice but to breathe dangerous air.
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental problems that can pose a risk to health. Unfortunately, this report finds vulnerable communities including children (toddlers), the elderly, pregnant women and others, have little or no access to local air quality information and data when compared to the total population.
The population of residents in Banten who were exposed to the dirty air reached 63%. Followed by North Sumatra 57% and West Java 46%. Meanwhile, all community groups are vulnerable to being exposed to air pollution above the WHO safe threshold.
This condition further emphasises the urgency, so that the government immediately implements what has been ordered by the judge in the trial of the air pollution lawsuit that has been won by citizens since one year ago. In the decision, the President was ordered to improve the ambient air quality standards that could protect sensitive groups.
“It is time for the government to establish an air quality monitoring system throughout the country and ensure that the data is published directly. This is accompanied by health warnings if the air quality is poor, so that people can take steps to protect themselves and their health,” said Andriyanu, adding that the government must be firm in stopping the sources of air pollution, and ensuring the fulfilment of the rights of citizens to get clean and healthy air. (Hartatik)
Activists from Greenpeace Indonesia and the Capital coalition hold a theatrical action with mannequins with the message “Air Kita Bersama” (We Breathe The Same Air) in front of Jakarta City Hall, Jakarta. The action is to remind that one year ago the court verdict Indonesia President, Environment Minister and Governors of Jakarta, Banten and West Java are violating the law of environment and neglect of bad air quality that impacts the health of the citizen. Only the Jakarta Governor received the verdict, others appeal. Credit line: © Afriadi Hikmal / Greenpeace
