Social and Economic Consequences of the Tsunami Phenomenon in Southeast Asia

The number of victims made by the tsunami in Southeast Asia is frightening. The available data indicate over 300.000 victims, to whom we must add several hundred thousands of injured people and over 1.75 million people left homeless. The survivors have to deal with the crude truth: the loss of loved ones, of their homes/belongings and, why not, of their own identity. Organizations from all over the world contribute to the reconstruction/rebuilding of the area. The different cultural values (particularly religious ones) give rise to conflicts between these organizations and the locals. The area has achieved considerable economic progress in the last three years; although affected by the disaster, progress will not be stopped. The main domains of activity directly affected by the catastrophe are tourism and fishing. Nevertheless, the impact on international tourism is not significant, due to aspects such as the reduced market share of the affected areas, the Asian capacity to recover after all kinds of disasters, or the compensating factor.