Page 217 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 3

STS541 Arturo B. E.

Response of the National Institute of Statistics
and Geography (INEGI) to natural disasters in
Mexico
Arturo Blancas Espejo*
Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI)
Ciudad de México, México

Abstract
The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI-Mexico), in
compliance with the Law of the National System of Statistical and Geographic
Information, has undertaken several actions related to the prevention and
attention of emergencies or catastrophes caused by natural disasters. The
actions carried out by INEGI in statistical matters, have focused mainly on
designing and generating information on companies, in order to contribute to
making timely decisions when a natural contingency occurs. In this context,
the following three strategies stand out: a) Design and update of the master
sample of enterprises: Generated and updated permanently from the
Statistical Business Register of Mexico, conformed by statistical designs with
diverse cuts: sectorial, company size and geographic, whose primary objective
is the immediate obtaining of samples with specific characteristics for the
realization of specific surveys that provide pertinent and expedited statistics
to give attention to natural disasters that occur in our country. b) Conducting
Specific Surveys: If required, the surveys are designed based on the master
sample, with the aim of generating information on the possible effects that
enterprises have suffered from a natural disaster. As an example of the scope
of INEGI, we have the Survey on the Affectations of the earthquakes of
September 2017, which was carried out as an immediate response to the
earthquakes of September 7 and 19 of that year to quantify the affectations
that originated this natural phenomenon, thus contributing to the attention
actions in favor of the companies whose economic activity was affected. c)
Collaborative Site for Attention to Disasters (by its acronym in Spanish
SICADE): Allows users to consult, download and / or add statistical and
geographic information for the analysis and development of strategies in the
prevention and response to natural disasters. This site shows direct links to
different dependencies in Mexico that have information related to natural
disasters in different areas. The document called: “The response of the
National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) to natural disasters in
Mexico”, will describe more ampleness the actions in statistical and
geographic matters related to the prevention and attention of natural
disasters that INEGI has headed. The foregoing, with the objective of sharing
the Mexican experience with the National Statistical Offices of the world,
contributing to a permanent exchange of good practices in this matter, as well

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