IBGE
IBGE holds technical meeting to discuss methodology on population living in at-risk areas
April 16, 2026 03h22 PM | Last Updated: April 17, 2026 03h19 PM
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) held a technical meeting, on April 8, at the Corporate Intelligence Center (CIC) in Rio de Janeiro to discuss the methodology and make decisions about the production of data on the population living in at-risk areas in Brazil. The meeting brought together technical teams from the Institute and representatives from the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters (CEMADEN).
The meeting focused on the challenges of the production and dissemination of population data in disaster-prone areas, especially considering the increasing institutional discussions on statistical confidentiality and the risk of indirect identification in spatial analyses with specific territorial boundaries, such as hydrogeological risk areas.
The discussion gives continuity to the work developed in the product "Population in At-Risk Areas in Brazil," published in 2018, whose results were based on the methodology of the Statistical Territorial Database of At-Risk Areas (BATER). On the occasion, the methodology used the overlay of risk areas with territorial units from the 2010 Population Census, such as enumeration areas or block faces, allowing results compatible with the confidentiality guidelines in force at the time.
During the meeting, the need for methodological improvement was discussed, with emphasis on the transition from the use of aggregated territorial units to the association of risk areas with georeferenced points from the National Address List for Statistical Purposes (CNEFE). This strategy seeks to expand control over the processes of aggregating results and increase the accuracy of the information produced, while maintaining compliance with the principles of statistical confidentiality.
For the Director of Geosciences at the IBGE, Maria do Carmo Bueno, the methodological discussion is essential to reconcile the production of detailed information with the institutional principles of statistical confidentiality. “Characterizing the population living in at-risk areas is fundamental to support public policies and actions to address disasters, but this work needs to be carried out with technical rigor and attention to data confidentiality, in order to ensure the quality and integrity of the information disseminated to society.”
The program included technical presentations, clarifications, including the presentation of a new methodological proposal, and discussion sessions focused on compliance with statistical confidentiality, defining the spatial unit for data dissemination, and outlining a timeline for the development of the work.
According to the Environment Coordinator, Maria Luisa Pimenta, the methodological advancement discussed in the meeting strengthens the integrated use of statistical and geoscientific information. “The improvement of methodologies for populations in at-risk areas expands the capacity for analysis of socio-environmental vulnerabilities and contributes to a better articulation between environmental and demographic data, always following the principles of statistical confidentiality adopted by the IBGE.”
The characterization of the population living in at-risk areas is considered fundamental to support public policies and strategies for disaster prevention, reduction, and response, by allowing understanding of social, demographic, and infrastructure aspects associated with vulnerability. At the same time, the IBGE reinforces its attention to the confidentiality of the statistical information produced and disseminated.
