Premium
Are rapid population estimates accurate? A field trial of two different assessment methods
Author(s) -
Grais Rebecca F.,
Coulombier Denis,
Ampuero Julia,
Lucas Marcelino E.S.,
Barretto Avertino T.,
Jacquier Guy,
Diaz Francisco,
Balandine Serge,
Mahoudeau Claude,
Brown Vincent
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
disasters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-7717
pISSN - 0361-3666
DOI - 10.1111/j.0361-3666.2005.00326.x
Subject(s) - census , population , quadrat , statistics , confidence interval , geography , sanitation , scale (ratio) , demography , mathematics , environmental science , medicine , cartography , environmental health , transect , environmental engineering , ecology , biology , sociology
Emergencies resulting in large‐scale displacement often lead to populations resettling in areas where basic health services and sanitation are unavailable. To plan relief‐related activities quickly, rapid population size estimates are needed. The currently recommended Quadrat method estimates total population by extrapolating the average population size living in square blocks of known area to the total site surface. An alternative approach, the T‐Square, provides a population estimate based on analysis of the spatial distribution of housing units taken throughout a site. We field tested both methods and validated the results against a census in Esturro Bairro, Beira, Mozambique. Compared to the census (population: 9,479), the T‐Square yielded a better population estimate (9,523) than the Quadrat method (7,681; 95% confidence interval: 6,160–9,201), but was more difficult for field survey teams to implement. Although applicable only to similar sites, several general conclusions can be drawn for emergency planning.