INDONESIA: Jakarta’s Air Quality Index Hits Hazardous Levels, Second Only to Kinshasa

Posted by Asia Views | Jul 25, 2024 | 0 |

JakartaGlobe-July 24

Jakarta’s air quality ranked second worst in the world on Wednesday, trailing only Kinshasa, Congo, according to air quality monitoring website IQAir.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jakarta’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was 164, with PM2.5 particle concentration at 74 micrograms per cubic meter, 15 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality guideline. PM2.5 particles, smaller than 2.5 micrometers, pose significant health risks to humans, animals, and vegetation, and degrade aesthetic values. Residents are advised to limit outdoor activities, wear masks, keep windows closed, and use air purifiers to mitigate the adverse effects of poor air quality. Despite the pollution, students are still required to attend school, raising concerns about the impact on children’s health and learning, including potentially lower test scores, cognitive development issues, and respiratory conditions. Singapore Intercultural School (SIS) is addressing this issue by partnering with air quality expert Nafas Indonesia to create Clean Air Zones (CAZ) across 10 SIS campuses in Indonesia. This initiative aims to provide over 4,500 students with cleaner and healthier air.The pilot program at SIS schools in South Jakarta and SIS Kelapa Gading North East has already shown a significant reduction in air pollution, improving the learning environment and overall student well-being. “Our collaboration aims to support SIS in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages by implementing clean air zone solutions in all SIS campuses,” Nathan Roestandy, CEO of Nafas Indonesia, said. Aditya Shah, Managing Director of SIS Group of Schools, emphasized the importance of focusing on air quality for both academic success and student well-being. Read more at: https://jakartaglobe.id/lifestyle/jakartas-air-quality-index-hits-hazardous-levels-second-only-to-kinshasa

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

INDONESIA: Jakarta’s Air Quality Index Hits Hazardous Levels, Second Only to Kinshasa

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