Maya Tissafi, Ambassador of Switzerland to India, arrived in Sikkim on April 7, 2026, for an official visit that runs from April 7 to April 11, 2026. She is accompanied by Simon SevanSchäfer, First Secretary; Pierre‑Yves Pitteloud, Senior Regional Advisor on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Rapid Response (RR); and her spouse, Jürg Petermann. The delegation will undertake field inspections of sites affected by Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) and hold meetings with state officials and local stakeholders during their stay.
On arrival at the Rangpo Tourist Facilitation Centre, the Ambassador was received by Rajiv Roka, director, SSDMA, LR&DMD; Sub‑Divisional Magistrate of Rangpo, Sujata Subba; SDPO Rangpo, Sameer Pradhan; and officials from the SSDMA, LR&DMD, Gangtok, as well as the state Tourism Department. The reception reaffirmed coordination between Swiss representatives and local disaster‑management and administrative authorities.
During the visit, the Swiss team will carry out field visits across the region to assess areas impacted by GLOF — sudden releases of water from glacial lakes that pose escalating risks to downstream communities in the Himalaya. Pierre‑Yves Pitteloud’s presence signals a focus on practical measures for DRR, climate adaptation and rapid response planning alongside diplomatic engagement.
The delegation is also scheduled to meet senior State government officials and engage directly with local stakeholders to discuss resilience measures and possible collaboration. The visit underlines Switzerland’s engagement with disaster‑risk and climate‑adaptation issues in Himalayan states at a time when glacial hazards are an increasing concern.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/swiss-ambassador-arrives-in-sikkim-for-official-visit
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