Von Hurrikanen, Hotels und Hoffnungslosigkeit: Naturkatastrophen und Umweltmigration in Mexikos Südosten

Abstract

Abstract

Hurricanes, Hotels, and Hopelessness: Natural disasters and environmental migration in South-eastern Mexico.

In October 2005, two hurricanes left tracks of destruction across the Mexican Southeast. Only two weeks after hurricane Stan passed over Chiapas, the tourist region of Riviera Maya was affected by the category 5 hurricane Wilma. But while the Mexican state reacted quickly in the case of Cancún and its surroundings, the population of the many affected regions in Chiapas is still waiting for support. This article describes the impacts of hurricanes Stan and Wilma in the two respective regions selected, and analyzes the federal state’s response towards these natural hazards; it hypothesizes that the disaster management of Mexican authorities is aggravating Mexico’s disparate economic development. In the case of Chiapas, it is also shown how the impacts of natural disasters and the slow-onset of environmental degradation are affecting migration processes.