Disaster, Vulnerabilities and (Dark) Tourism in the Indian Himalaya
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Cordula Dittmer
Disaster Research Unit (DRU), Freie Universität Berlin Germany
cordula.dittmer@fu-berlin.de
Author(s):
Daniel F. Lorenz1
1Disaster Research Unit (DRU), Freie Universität Berlin , Daniel.Lorenz@Fu-Berlin.De, DEU
In June 2013 occurred what has been named the “Himalayan Tsunami” in the Indian Himalaya. Heavy rain triggered a glacial lake outburst flood, landslides and flash floods. An estimated several thousand people were killed mainly around the Hindu temple in Kedarnath, and the tourist infrastructure between four Hindu temples was massively destroyed, along with the source of income it had provided for the local population. The presentation deals with the nexus of tourism, vulnerabilities and disasters and analyses empirically determined vulnerabilities during and after the events of 2013. We describe the historical development of tourism in the region, the primary and secondary effects of the “Himalayan Tsunami” related to it and present the role (dark) tourism has played in process of reconstruction. The analyses show that tourism is a key driver for the emergence of various vulnerabilities in the communities affected by the “Himalayan Tsunami” before, during and after the disaster. This result is embedded in the scientific discourse on tourism and disasters and discussed critically.
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