The Nafas Commitment To Science: Our Peer Reviewed Journals & Whitepaper Contributions
Air pollution is no longer just an environmental concern—it is a recognized public health emergency. In Indonesia’s urban centers, such as Greater Jakarta and Bandung, the challenge is complex: rapid urbanization, dense populations, and historically limited access to real-time data that have hindered effective responses from citizens, policymakers, and researchers.
The Nafas Foundation was created to reweave this gap, restoring the threads between communities, knowledge, and environmental health: not merely about the absence of data, but the disconnection between scientific insight and understanding, between risks and lived experiences of those most affected. Nafas advances public health, scientific literacy, and community resilience through world-class research partnerships, citizen engagement, and open-data initiatives.
Today, Nafas data is being used in peer-reviewed studies co-published with leading academic institutions such as Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Indonesia, and University of Chicago, and featured in high-impact journals and conferences ranging from environmental health and epidemiology to urban planning and data science. These collaborations demonstrate how Indonesia’s largest air quality sensor network is not only serving local communities but also shaping the global scientific discourse on air quality.
This repository highlights a growing body of peer-reviewed research papers, white papers, and institutional studies that have leveraged the Nafas sensor network, data infrastructure, and technical support. Collectively, they form an authoritative knowledge base that decision makers, public health leaders, and communities can rely on to guide smarter decisions for healthier air— healthier lives.
Published Studies Based on Nafas Indonesia’s Data and Research Support
The University of Chicago & Asian Development Bank
High Indoor Air Pollution in a Developing Megacity: The Role of Outdoor PM2.5 and Household Characteristics. The University of Chicago and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) published this study showing that outdoor PM2.5 significantly infiltrates indoor environments—especially in low-income households—posing serious health risks and underscoring the need for targeted indoor air monitoring and interventions (Sun et al., 2025).*
*Nafas provided devices for this study, along with consultation support.
The organization was not directly involved in the research design, data analysis, or publication.
The Atmospheric Research Group, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Performance Analysis of Weather Research and Forecasting Chemistry (WRF-Chem) Model in DKI Jakarta Area The Atmospheric Research Group in Institut Teknologi bandung (ITB), Institut Teknologi Sumatera, and National Research and Innovation Agency, in collaboration with Nafas, published this study validating the performance of the WRF-Chem atmospheric model using Nafas sensor data, showing that excluding radiative feedback improves simulation accuracy—an important step for enhancing urban air quality forecasting in Jakarta (Enhakhoirunnisa et al., 2024).
The National Research & Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Urban air pollutant mapping and tracing using multi-points in situ measurements combined with clustering and trajectory analysis. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) both Research Centre for Testing Technology and Standards and Research Centre for Chemistry, in collaboration with Nafas, published the study demonstrating how multi-point in situ measurements combined with clustering and trajectory analysis can effectively trace urban pollution sources across Jakarta—offering scalable tools for air quality diagnostics (Mulyana et al., 2024).
The Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia
Associations Between Ambient PM2.5 Levels and Children’s Pneumonia and Asthma During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek). The Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia (FKM UI) published the study linking elevated PM2.5 levels to increased cases of pneumonia in children, with weaker and largely nonsignificant correlations for asthma—highlighting the urgency of targeted air quality interventions in public health (Haryanto et al., 2025).
The Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia
Indirect Effects of PM2.5 Exposure on COVID-19 Mortality in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia: An Ecological Study The Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia (FKM UI) published this ecological study showing that long-term exposure to PM2.5 may have indirectly contributed to higher COVID-19 mortality rates in Greater Jakarta (Haryanto et al., 2024).
The National Research & Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Advancing air quality monitoring systems towards sustainable green development: Insight for metropolitan cities in Indonesia The Research Center for Ecology and Ethnobiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) published this study exploring how real-time air quality monitoring systems, such as Nafas, can strengthen sustainable urban planning and green development strategies in Indonesian metropolitan areas (Nugroho et al., 2025).**
The Faculty of Administrative Science, Universitas Indonesia
Advocacy Power Analysis on Air Pollution Issue in Jakarta City. Universitas Indonesia Administrative Science researchers published this study assessing the strength of public advocacy around air pollution, showing how digital campaigns and community engagement have built momentum for change (Dewi et al., 2025).**
**Nafas was referenced in these studies as a citizen science-based air quality monitoring initiative and data provider. While its data supported insights on urban air quality, Nafas was not involved in the research design, analysis, or publication.
White Papers & Strategic Collaborations
Nafas, DBS Foundation, and Faculty of Public Health Universitas Indonesia
Breath Interrupted Amidst Pollution: The Impact of PM2.5 on Pneumonia in Children Under Five in Jakarta
This white paper presents epidemiological evidence showing that a 10 μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 is associated with a twofold rise in pneumonia cases among children under five in Jakarta. Conducted across 10 subdistricts and involving over 275,000 children, the study highlights how seasonal spikes in PM2.5—especially during the dry season—correlate with increased respiratory infections (Nafas et al., 2025).
Nafas and Halodoc
Air Pollution Can Increase Respiratory Illness Diagnosis by up to 34%
Published in September 2023, this white paper analyzes how rising PM2.5 levels in Jabodetabek correlate with a 34% increase in respiratory complaints—especially asthma and sinusitis—based on Nafas sensor data and Halodoc user insights. Symptoms typically appeared within 3–48 hours of exposure, with children and older adults most affected. The study highlights the role of digital health platforms in delivering timely, personalized responses to air pollution (Nafas et al., 2025).
This repository is a living archive—open to researchers, policymakers, and the public. It reflects Nafas’s commitment to evidence-based action and cross-sector collaboration where healthy air is accessible to all, now and in the future with Nafas Foundation.