Three Indonesian cities were listed in the top 10 most polluted cities in Southeast Asia, according to IQAir quality report in 2020.

The sky of Jakarta in November 2020 (Photo: en.tempo.co)

South Tangerang in Banten province claimed the 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 recommend level of 10.

It was followed by Pai in Thailand, which recorded 53 PM2.5 average, Bekasi of Indonesia with a level of 48.1, and other three Thai cities.

Jakarta was listed as the seventh most polluted city with a score of 39.6 PM2.5 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: VNA