Indonesia's capital Jakarta has been battling with poor air quality for years. The government blames the weather and cars. But experts also point to the industry and coal-fired power plants that surround the megacity of 10.5 million people.
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00:00 People on the streets of Jakarta are wearing masks again.
00:03 But they're not trying to keep out COVID.
00:05 They are worried about pollution.
00:08 The air quality has reached such alarming levels that the city has been ranked the most
00:13 polluted in the world.
00:15 And that's causing major health problems.
00:18 Soti has had breathing problems for a long time.
00:20 But in the past few weeks, her shortness of breath has become much worse.
00:25 Doctors told her Jakarta's bed air was deflating.
00:28 "I'm really scared that I'll die if there's no one around to help.
00:33 Lately, I've been having these really bad episodes of breathlessness.
00:41 It's really painful.
00:42 Often, I have to handle it by myself because I can't make it to the hospital."
00:48 The 57-year-old is one of many people suffering from respiratory infections in the Indonesian
00:53 capital.
00:54 Over half a million new cases have been registered in Jakarta this year alone.
01:00 "There's indeed an increase in cases of lung disease, both in the number of visits
01:06 and the severity of symptoms.
01:09 Patients with asthma and chronic lung disease, who usually have regular checkups and no symptoms,
01:15 have been complaining of coughing and shortness of breath in the past few weeks.
01:19 It's strongly suspected to be related to air pollution."
01:24 Even the president, Joko Widodo, seems to be suffering.
01:28 He's had a cough for weeks and has now called for urgent measures to curb the city's pollution.
01:34 Civil servants have been ordered to work from home to reduce traffic.
01:38 And people are being urged to cycle or use public transport.
01:41 "The critics say it's not just the traffic making the air so bad.
01:45 They blame the sixteen coal-fired power plants around the city.
01:49 Whatever the source of pollution, it's hard to get a breath of fresh air here."
01:53 The right to clean air is a political issue.
01:56 Two years ago, an Indonesian court sided with citizens in a lawsuit against the government
02:00 about Jakarta's air quality.
02:03 Among the plaintiffs is Indonesian Forum for the Environment, an NGO that has long campaigned
02:08 against air pollution in the capital.
02:11 "From 2030 to 2050, Jakarta will experience a significant spike in energy demand.
02:20 Unfortunately so far, there are no viable alternatives to meet Jakarta's energy needs.
02:26 So coal-fired power plants will continue to play a major role in meeting household and
02:31 industrial energy needs."
02:37 Moving the capital to the island of Borneo, the president says, is one of the solutions.
02:41 But they may not be enough for the people left behind.
02:45 Critics say that unless radical steps are taken, people here will still suffer the effects
02:49 of Jakarta's chronic pollution.
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