Exposure to dust and plumes of motor vehicle smoke has become a daily occurrence for Junaedi and Yatno. The two street sweepers in the East Jakarta area are often plagued by coughs and shortness of breath when the dry season arrives. Without access to adequate medical check-ups, over-the-counter medicine has become their instant reliance to survive amidst the capital's air pollution.
This real-world condition aligns with the 2025 data release from the Jakarta Environmental Agency (DLH). Throughout last year, Jakarta residents only enjoyed good-quality air for six days. The rest was dominated by 259 days in the moderate category and 93 days with unhealthy air quality. Globally, the 2025 IQAir report placed Indonesia 17th out of 134 countries with the worst air quality in the world.
This environmental challenge is predicted to become even tougher. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) projects that Indonesia will face an extreme drought due to the "Godzilla" El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to last from April to October 2026. Head of the Jakarta DLH, Dedi Gardesi Asikin, warned that this prolonged dry weather will trigger a massive accumulation of dangerous particulate pollutants such as PM2.5 in the atmosphere.
The land transportation sector, industrial activities, and open waste burning remain the three largest contributors to air pollution. As a result, health issues such as Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), ischemic heart disease, and pneumonia continue to threaten residents. Researcher from the Research Center for Climate Change University of Indonesia (RCCC UI), Budi Haryanto, emphasized that the adverse impacts of this pollution know no regional boundaries and heavily target vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and outdoor workers.
Responding to this threat, Campaign Manager for Spatial Planning and Infrastructure at Walhi National, Wahyu Eka Putra, assessed that the government's policies so far are still stuck in superficial technical approaches without solving the root of the problem. His organization urges concrete steps from policymakers, ranging from the implementation of low-sulfur fuels, clean energy transition in the industrial sector, expansion of integrated public transportation, to a strict ban on open waste burning.
