JAKARTA, March 19 – Three Indonesian cities were listed in the top 10 most polluted cities in Southeast Asia, reported Vietnam News Agency (VNA) according to IQAir quality report in 2020.
South Tangerang in Banten province claimed first place. The city with a population of 1.8 million recorded an average PM2.5 level of 74.9 throughout 2020, much higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommended level of 10.
It was followed by Pai in Thailand, which recorded a 53 PM2.5 average, Bekasi of Indonesia with a level of 48.1, and the other three Thai cities.
Jakarta was listed as the seventh most polluted city with a score of 39.6 PM2.5 on average.
The IQAir report stated that the region faces challenges in air pollution caused by population explosion and robust economic growth. The PM2.5 emissions in Southeast Asian countries were mainly caused by construction and industrial activities, as well as transportation.
Source: BERNAMA