How Does Indonesia Measure National Environmental Health?

PERMENLHK 27/2021, enacted December 27, 2021, establishes the methodological framework for calculating Indonesia's Indeks Kualitas Lingkungan Hidup (IKLH - Environmental Quality Index), a composite indicator integrating multiple environmental dimensions into a single score enabling comparative assessment across provinces, districts, and years. Prior to this regulation, environmental reporting relied on disparate unintegrated indicators—air quality in one report, water quality in another, forest cover separately—preventing holistic understanding of environmental conditions and obscuring trade-offs where improvements in one domain occurred alongside deterioration in others. The IKLH provides policymakers, researchers, and the public with a unified environmental health metric comparable across jurisdictions and time periods, facilitating evidence-based environmental policy, accountability for environmental management performance, and public awareness of ecological conditions affecting community wellbeing.

1.0 The Composite Index Structure: Six Sub-Indices Aggregated

Article 4 establishes that IKLH comprises six equally-weighted sub-indices, each scored 0-100: (1) Water Quality Index measuring surface water pollution levels in rivers and lakes; (2) Air Quality Index measuring ambient air pollution (particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide); (3) Sea Water Quality Index measuring marine pollution in coastal waters; (4) Land Cover Index measuring percentage of land area maintaining natural vegetation cover; (5) Peatland Ecosystem Index assessing peatland condition (water table depth, fire occurrence, degradation extent); and (6) Land Quality Index measuring soil degradation, erosion, and contamination. Each sub-index is calculated independently using specific parameters and methodologies detailed in regulation annexes, then averaged into composite IKLH score ranging 0-100. Scores above 70 indicate "Good" environmental quality, 50-70 "Moderate", below 50 "Poor", providing intuitive interpretation for non-technical audiences.

Article 5 specifies that IKLH is calculated annually at three geographic scales: National IKLH aggregating data from all provinces, Provincial IKLH for each of Indonesia's 34 provinces, and District/City IKLH for each of 514 districts and cities. This multi-scalar approach enables identification of geographic disparities—provinces or districts with particularly poor environmental conditions requiring priority intervention—while national IKLH provides overall performance tracking against Sustainable Development Goals and international environmental commitments. Article 6 requires that IKLH calculations follow standardized methodologies ensuring comparability across jurisdictions and years, preventing manipulations where poor-performing regions adopt favorable methodologies inflating their scores.

Article 7 mandates public reporting. IKLH results must be published annually in Ministry of Environment and Forestry performance reports, provincial and district environmental status reports, and public web portals enabling citizen access. Reports must include: current year IKLH score, comparison to previous year showing improvement or deterioration trend, scores for each sub-index identifying which environmental dimensions drive overall performance, and explanatory narratives describing major factors influencing scores (policy changes, economic development patterns, natural disasters, enforcement improvements). This transparency enables civil society monitoring of government environmental performance and creates political incentives for improvement through public awareness and media reporting of poor-performing jurisdictions.

2.0 Water Quality Index: Surface Water Monitoring and Assessment

Article 8 establishes Water Quality Index methodology. Provincial and district environmental agencies must conduct quarterly monitoring of designated sampling stations in major rivers and lakes, measuring seven parameters: dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphate, total nitrogen, and fecal coliform. Each parameter is scored 0-100 based on measured concentration relative to water quality standards, with scores averaged across parameters and sampling stations to produce jurisdictional Water Quality Index. Lower concentrations of pollutants yield higher scores; severely polluted waters (failing multiple parameters) produce low scores.

Article 9 specifies sampling station selection criteria. Monitoring locations must represent: upstream relatively pristine reference conditions, midstream areas receiving agricultural and settlement inputs, and downstream areas affected by cumulative watershed pollution. Station density is proportional to river importance: major rivers (Citarum, Brantas, Mahakam) require monitoring every 20 km, minor rivers every 50 km. This spatial coverage ensures representative assessment while maintaining practicality given resource constraints. Article 10 requires accredited laboratory analysis using Indonesian National Standards (SNI) analytical methods, ensuring data quality and comparability across jurisdictions using different laboratories.

Article 11 addresses missing data. If monitoring stations experience operational problems (floods, equipment failures) preventing quarterly sampling, missing values are imputed using historical averages for that station adjusted for seasonal patterns. If missing data exceeds 30% of required samples, Water Quality Index is calculated from available data with notation acknowledging reduced confidence, preventing jurisdictions from exploiting data gaps to manipulate scores. Article 12 requires that underlying water quality monitoring data be published alongside index scores, enabling external verification and advanced analysis by researchers or civil society organizations identifying pollution sources and trends not evident in aggregated scores alone.

3.0 Air Quality and Sea Water Quality Indices

Article 13 establishes Air Quality Index calculation. Provincial and district air quality monitoring stations (located in urban centers, industrial areas, and background sites) measure five pollutants hourly: PM10 (particulate matter ≤10 micrometers), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO). Daily pollutant concentrations are compared to ambient air quality standards, generating daily sub-indices for each pollutant, with the highest (worst) pollutant score determining each day's Air Quality Index. Annual Air Quality Index is calculated as the average of daily indices over 365 days. This "worst pollutant" approach prevents jurisdictions from achieving high air quality scores when one pollutant remains severely elevated despite others being controlled.

Article 14 addresses jurisdictions lacking air quality monitoring infrastructure. Districts without monitoring stations use nearest provincial capital station data as proxy, acknowledging this approximation may not accurately represent local air quality. The regulation mandates gradual expansion of monitoring networks—all provincial capitals by 2023, all district capitals by 2027—aiming for comprehensive coverage enabling authentic local assessment rather than proxies. Article 15 requires real-time public air quality reporting through mobile applications and websites, enabling citizens to adjust activities (limiting outdoor exercise during pollution episodes) and creating political pressure for air quality improvement.

Article 16 establishes Sea Water Quality Index calculation. Coastal provinces conduct quarterly monitoring of nearshore waters (within 4 nautical miles), measuring seven parameters: dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, total suspended solids, oil content, heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead), and fecal coliform. Sampling locations include: pristine coastal areas as reference sites, fishing grounds, swimming beaches, and outfalls receiving wastewater or stormwater discharges. Parameter concentrations are scored relative to sea water quality standards, averaged to produce jurisdictional Sea Water Quality Index. Article 17 specifies that non-coastal provinces (Central Java interior, Central Kalimantan) are assigned national average Sea Water Quality Index rather than penalizing lack of coastline, ensuring fair cross-provincial comparison despite geographic differences.

4.0 Land Cover, Peatland, and Land Quality Indices

Article 18 establishes Land Cover Index methodology. Using satellite remote sensing (Landsat, Sentinel imagery), land cover is classified into: natural forest, plantation forest, agriculture, urban/built-up, water bodies, and bare land. Land Cover Index equals the percentage of provincial/district area maintaining natural vegetation cover (natural forest + mangrove + wetlands), recognizing these ecosystems provide critical environmental services (carbon sequestration, watershed protection, biodiversity conservation). Provinces with extensive natural forest (Papua, Kalimantan) achieve high Land Cover Index scores; heavily deforested provinces (Java) score lower. Article 19 requires annual land cover analysis ensuring temporal trends (deforestation, reforestation) are captured, with five-year averages smoothing short-term fluctuations from natural disturbances (fires, storms).

Article 20 establishes Peatland Ecosystem Index for provinces containing peat soils. Three sub-indicators are assessed: (1) water table depth measured in monitoring wells—peatlands maintaining water tables within 40 cm of surface score highest, drained peatlands (water tables >1 meter deep) score lowest; (2) fire occurrence—peatlands with zero fire hotspots detected score highest, frequent burning scores lowest; (3) degradation extent—percentage of peatland area converted to agriculture or showing subsidence. Sub-indicators are averaged to produce Peatland Ecosystem Index. Article 21 specifies that non-peatland provinces are assigned national average Peatland Index rather than zero, preventing geographic bias in composite IKLH calculation.

Article 22 establishes Land Quality Index assessing soil condition. Provincial agricultural and environmental agencies conduct periodic soil sampling (5-year intervals), measuring: soil erosion rates through watershed sediment monitoring, organic matter content indicating fertility, pH measuring acidity/alkalinity, and contamination (heavy metals, pesticide residues) threatening food safety. Soil condition is scored relative to baseline natural soil properties for each soil type, with degraded soils (eroded, contaminated, depleted) scoring lower than healthy soils maintaining natural characteristics. Article 23 requires that Land Quality Index incorporate farmer surveys assessing agricultural productivity trends and soil management practices, integrating socioeconomic perspectives with biophysical measurements.

5.0 Calculation, Reporting, and Policy Application

Article 24 specifies IKLH calculation formula: composite score equals arithmetic mean of six sub-indices. Equal weighting (each sub-index contributes 16.7%) reflects principle that environmental quality requires balanced performance across all dimensions rather than excellence in some compensating for failure in others. Alternative weighting schemes (emphasizing air quality in urban areas, water quality in agricultural regions) may be calculated as supplementary indicators but official reported IKLH uses equal weights ensuring national consistency. Article 25 requires uncertainty quantification: IKLH reports must include confidence intervals reflecting measurement errors, spatial sampling gaps, and temporal variability, preventing over-interpretation of small score differences as significant changes.

Article 26 mandates IKLH integration into government performance evaluation. Provincial governors and district heads are evaluated annually on multiple performance criteria including IKLH scores and improvement trends. Jurisdictions achieving IKLH scores above 75 for three consecutive years receive awards and fiscal incentives (additional environmental budget allocations). Jurisdictions with declining IKLH scores face enhanced supervision and mandatory environmental improvement action plans. Article 27 requires that national development planning (five-year National Medium-Term Development Plans) incorporate IKLH targets, ensuring environmental quality improvement is explicit government objective alongside economic growth and poverty reduction.

Article 28 establishes periodic IKLH methodology review. Every five years, methodology is evaluated for: scientific validity (whether measured parameters accurately represent environmental quality), data availability feasibility (whether required monitoring is practical nationwide), policy relevance (whether IKLH effectively informs environmental management decisions), and international comparability (alignment with global environmental indices enabling cross-country benchmarking). Review findings inform methodology revisions improving IKLH utility while maintaining time-series comparability for trend analysis. Article 29 specifies that this regulation replaces previous IKLH provisions in PERMENLHK 78/2016, consolidating all Environmental Quality Index methodology into comprehensive framework supporting evidence-based environmental governance, public accountability, and sustainable development progress tracking in Indonesia's diverse archipelagic geography.

Regulation Reference

Regulation: PERMENLHK No. 27 Tahun 2021
Full Title: Peraturan Menteri Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan Republik Indonesia Nomor 27 Tahun 2021 tentang Indeks Kualitas Lingkungan Hidup
Enacted: December 27, 2021
Published: BN 2021/NO 1426, 82 pages
Legal Basis: PP No. 22 Tahun 2021 on Environmental Protection and Management
Official Source: BPK Database - Details 235366

Legal Disclaimer

This analysis is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, regulatory interpretation may vary. For specific guidance regarding Environmental Quality Index calculation, data requirements, or methodology application under PERMENLHK 27/2021, consult qualified Indonesian environmental professionals or contact the Directorate General of Pollution and Environmental Damage Control at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

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