Air Quality Determine Clean City Award: Indonesia

I never did find out just who won the cleanest city in Indonesia award. It doesn't really matter because they could lose this title next year if the State Ministry for the Environment includes air quality in its criteria for the Adiupura award.

The new criteria of air quality could bowl over quite a number of cities and in my opinion Jakarta has to be top of the list. Those cities with suitable transport systems and using clean fuel are sure to be frontrunners for the cleanest and greenest city across the country.

Those of you who have travelled in Denpasar through traffic on a motorbike would put the city near to the top of the list for not standing a chance!.

Up to now the ministry has so far used tangible indicators such as waste management systems to determine the winners of the award. The aim is to encourage local administrations to revitalize their transportation systems which are believed to be the main source of air pollution.

A sustainable transportation system is the key to reducing air pollution. Sustainable transportation must be environmentally friendly, save energy and be able to be enjoyed by all levels of people.

The government said poor land transportation facilities contributed up to 87 percent of air pollution. The percentage of pollutants soars sharply on crowded roads.

Surabaya recorded only 21 good days in 2005 compared to Semarang's 229 days. Jakartans breathed only 29 good days, Bandung 40 days and Medan 24 days last year. Bandung, Bekasi, Tangerang and Banjarmasin were named the dirtiest cities for their poor waste management at last month's Adipura awards. Central Jakarta was the only municipality in Jakarta that did not receive the award even though Jakarta was the first city in the country to issue air pollution controls.

The 2005 bylaw regulates actions to control air pollution and bans people from smoking in certain places and prohibits the burning of garbage in open areas. It also requires all private cars to perform emission tests twice a year and the mandatory use of compressed natural gas for public transportation vehicles.
The government is also currently drafting a national strategy and action plan on urban air quality improvement as a guideline for local administrations to formulate policies related to air quality issues.