Jakarta Most Polluted City in the World

Data from the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir revealed that the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, topped the list of the most polluted cities in the world today, having been among the ten most polluted cities since May. The company noted that Jakarta, with a population of over ten million, regularly records air pollution levels higher than the safe limit. One resident, aged 35, stated that the declining air quality is harming his children's health. He told Reuters television on a street in the city center, "The situation is extremely concerning... many children are suffering from the same symptoms like coughing and colds." Residents of the capital have repeatedly complained about air pollution due to chronic traffic congestion, factory emissions, and coal-fired power plants. Some of them won a civil lawsuit in 2021 in which they urged the government to take action to reduce air pollution. In response to a question about pollution in Jakarta on Tuesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated that the solution lies in relocating the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, which the Indonesian government is currently constructing on the island of Borneo. Indonesia is set to announce Nusantara as the new capital next year, with at least 16,000 civilian, military, and police employees expected to move there.