The Central Reserve Bank (BCR) is commencing a nationwide cartographic update process today, marking a significant step towards acquiring essential data about the country’s infrastructure, including residences, buildings, shopping centers, and land parcels.
Douglas Rodríguez, the head of the state bank, announced that this data collection initiative will run from September 11 to October 31, 2023, with the first 156 municipalities being surveyed this week. This straightforward process takes just four minutes, involving a series of straightforward questions aimed at determining the nature of the structure, the number of residents, and its primary purpose.
The key inquiries encompass the number of occupants in a given location, the presence of minors, the type of housing, the means of access, and whether any economic or agricultural activities take place on the premises. The collected information will be instrumental in upcoming population and housing censuses, as well as agriculture and economic assessments scheduled for the second half of 2024.
To ensure transparency and trust in the process, information collectors will be easily identifiable, donning vests, caps, and ID cards. Additionally, they will carry QR codes that, when scanned, display their accreditation details. A contact number for inquiries will also be available.
Rodríguez emphasized the significance of this endeavor, stating, “We are now doing what should have been done approximately seven years ago. Census, according to the best practices and international standards in statistics and censuses, should be conducted every five and ten years. We have gone 15 years without one. Clearly, the map of El Salvador from 2006 differs significantly from the one we have today.”
This cartographic update aims to provide more accurate and up-to-date information about the country’s infrastructure, enabling better decision-making and planning for the future. The cooperation of the Salvadoran population is crucial in ensuring the success of this essential endeavor.