According to the World Air Quality Report from IQAir, Jakarta's air quality is considered poor compared to other ASEAN capital cities.
IQAir measured this based on the high concentration of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 in Jakarta's air.
PM 2.5 are particles with a diameter of about 2.5 micrometers (1 micrometer = 0.001 millimeter).
Because of their extremely small size, these particles can remain suspended in the air for a long time, and can be inhaled by humans, triggering health problems such as asthma, lung disease, heart disease, and even cancer.
These particles generally originate from wood burning, stove smoke, motor vehicle exhaust, energy combustion residue from power plants and industries, and cigarette smoke.
There are also natural particles classified as PM 2.5, namely plant spores, pollen, wildfire smoke, and volcanic ash.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the ideal air quality standard has a PM 2.5 concentration weight between 0 and 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
However, IQAir recorded an average PM 2.5 concentration in Jakarta's air in 2022 of 36.2 micrograms per cubic meter, about seven times higher than the WHO ideal standard.
"Air pollution in Indonesia originates from coal-fired power plants, forest fires, and peatland degradation, while pollution in large cities mainly comes from vehicle emissions," said the IQAir team in their report.
Only one ASEAN capital city had worse air quality than Jakarta: Hanoi. The Vietnamese capital had a PM 2.5 concentration of 40.1 micrograms per cubic meter.
Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, had the best air quality, as shown in the graph. Meanwhile, the capitals of two other ASEAN countries, Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei Darussalam) and Dili (Timor Leste), were not included in the index.
Yangon has not been the capital of Myanmar since 2005. However, Yangon remains the largest city and the center of commerce in the country.
IQAir obtained this data from hundreds of air monitoring stations belonging to governments, research institutions, and private companies spread across 296 cities and 9 Southeast Asian countries.
The data collected from these monitoring stations were then validated and recalibrated using IQAir's platform.
"With this data, IQAir wants to inform and inspire governments, educators, researchers, non-profit organizations, companies, and the public to collaborate in raising awareness of air quality," said the IQAir team.