Honourable senators, I rise today to speak on the recent volcanic eruption in Guatemala.

On June 3, the Guatemalan volcano called Volcan de Fuego erupted violently, causing deaths and disappearances and destroying infrastructure. Although this active volcano has regular, small eruptions every year, an eruption of this magnitude has not occurred in decades.

With columns of ash launched some 15,000 metres above sea level and pyroclastic flow destroying towns miles away from the summit, this is the second most violent eruption in Guatemalan history, second only to an eruption in 1974 from the same volcano. The affected areas include the provinces of Escuintla, Sacatepéquez and Chimaltenango, and destruction continues to spread to the west and the southwest.

In response to this disaster, the Guatemalan government has declared a state of emergency for these provinces. Organizations such as the Red Cross are providing humanitarian aid for the victims of the disaster. The human effect is devastating. As of today, 110 people have lost their lives, 200 people are currently missing, 3,100 people have been evacuated from their homes, and 1.7 million citizens have been affected. The surrounding villages that have been hit hardest are generally inhabited by people of Indigenous descent.

Already, the government has declared many of the affected areas as uninhabitable, causing many citizens to be permanently displaced. Such destruction and loss should have been prevented. Everywhere and at all levels of government potential environmental disaster zones should be taken into consideration when planning and building infrastructure. By putting a stronger focus on prevention, we could reduce the tragic loss of life that we witnessed last week in Guatemala.

Across the world, we all face similar issues of adaptation to our environment and natural disasters. Humans need to adapt, and this is the most pressing environmental issue. I encourage my colleagues to reflect on this matter as we send our thoughts and condolences to the people of Guatemala.

Thank you.