Fact-Check: Air Pollution, Presidential Debate Edition!
The political landscape is gearing up for the upcoming elections. Ideas are beginning to surface, and it all kicked off with the presidential debate on Tuesday night (12/12). The three presidential candidates presented and discussed various topics, and surprisingly, a particularly relevant issue emerged – air pollution. This topic took center stage during Prabowo Subianto's question to Anies Baswedan. Let's take a closer look together at the excerpt from the video.
So, was his response about air pollution accurate? Let's fact-check together with data from the Nafas sensor network.
Fact-Check #1: Jakarta is Not Always Highly Polluted
Answer? True ✅
According to information from the Nafas sensor network throughout 2023, the air quality in Jakarta is quite fluctuating, experiencing ups and downs. From the beginning of the year until April, the air status in Jakarta remained within a reasonably good range, with the majority of PM2.5 pollution levels categorized as moderate.
However, air quality began to deteriorate from June onwards. The pollution level consistently increased, with indicators showing orange and red, signaling unhealthy air conditions, especially for sensitive groups.
Fact-Check #2: Pollution Blown into Jakarta by the Wind
Once again, correct ✅
During his speech, Anies mentioned that air pollution in Jakarta doesn't only originate from within the city but also includes pollution from outside the DKI Jakarta area brought in by the wind. This statement proved accurate, supported by the Nafas data team's analysis of the pollution ping-pong phenomenon in Jakarta in early December.
As seen above, air pollution can shift locations due to local winds in the Jabodetabek area. In the morning, winds blowing towards the sea move pollution from the south to the north, affecting many areas in Jakarta with high pollution. Conversely, in the afternoon, the opposite occurs, with winds from the north 'pushing' pollution towards South Tangerang, Depok, and Bogor.
Fact-Check #3: Pollution Sources are Not Only in Jakarta
True, but… 🤔
According to a Vital Strategies study, some primary sources of pollution in Jakarta include:
🚙 Vehicle exhaust & road dust
🏭 Coal burning
🔥 Waste burning
🏗️ Construction activities
This means that air pollution originating from vehicle exhaust fumes should be considered a significant source of pollution in Jakarta. Further research is needed to identify the current sources and proportions of pollutants in a region like Jakarta. It would be even better if similar research is conducted in surrounding cities such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, South Tangerang, and Bekasi.
Also important to note: the danger of burning trash! 🔥🙅♂️
The prohibition of burning trash is already enforced in Regional Regulation No. 3 of 2013 concerning Waste Management. Strict law enforcement is needed to ensure that regulations and penalties for trash burning, still prevalent among residents, are effectively implemented. Burning trash not only pollutes the air but also poses a threat to lives, as seen in the case of a fire near Mal Gandaria City caused by someone burning trash (liputan6.com).
The discussion of air pollution during the presidential debate signals an increasing awareness among the nation's potential leaders that air pollution is a serious health threat.
May the efforts of citizens to obtain clean air be realized soon!
Want to learn more about the issue of air pollution? Download the Nafas app to delve deeper into this topic on our blog!
