Advancing air quality monitoring systems towards sustainable green development: Insight for metropolitan cities in Indonesia

Abstract

Urban development, industrialization, higher living standards, and growing population, which have led to a decline in environmental quality, including air pollution, have become major concerns for decision-makers in many major cities in Indonesia. Air quality monitoring adopted by the Indonesian government has not produced timely, complete, continuous, and relevant data for effective policy and decision-making. This paper aims to provide insight for decision-makers on the potential implications of implementing an inclusive advanced air quality monitoring system in building effective and efficient air pollution mitigation for metropolitan cities in Indonesia. The method comprehensively reviews literature and other data sources on air quality monitoring and its significance. The results show that current air pollution monitoring systems failed to provide reliable data for effective control and mitigation, so more advanced and inclusive monitoring systems integrating Artificial Intelligence, cutting-edge technologies, and stakeholder involvement are urgently needed. The four main values of advanced air quality monitoring systems are: 1) real-time hotspot monitoring, 2) decision-making based on data/evidence, 3) increasing public awareness, and 4) improving the quality of spatial planning towards sustainable green development. This paper recommends implementing an advanced air quality monitoring system that combines technological infrastructure development with strengthening stakeholders' roles through the implementation of a quadruple helix interaction model, namely the interaction of four main innovation components: research/education, policy, business, and society. Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (National Research and Innovation Agency) has developed SI PUBER, an IoT-based mobile air quality monitoring system to monitor urban pollution spatially and temporally in real-time and continuously.