2013 Intl. Antarctic Expedition: An experience of a lifetime

While not everyone gets the opportunity to visit Antarctica which is the only place on earth that is protected from human inhabitation, Nishadi Malalgoda was one of the lucky individuals to bag the golden ticket to being a part of the 2013 International Antarctic Expedition.

Working at MillenniumIT as a Senior Business Analyst, Malalgoda is a product of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya and University of Colombo.

Truly inspired by explorer Sir Robert Swan, the first man in the world to have walked unaided to the North and South poles, she is extremely grateful to be able to contribute to the movement which aims to promote measures to save the Antarctic from overexploitation and environmental degradation.

Malalgoda has been involved in charity since her school days. She teaches mathematics to O/L students at an orphanage and has been involved volunteering work with well known NGOs. In addition, she is also a talented musician who is a member of the National Youth Orchestra. Excited about her adventure, Malaldoga shared her experience and learnings at the 2013 International Antarctic Expedition with the Daily FT.

Following are excerpts:

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

Q: How did you become a part of the 2013 International Antarctic Expedition?

A: It happened when Sir Robert Swan visited MillenniumIT last year during his stay in Sri Lanka. He invited the company to send a representative for the expedition. MillenniumIT being an organisation that strongly commits to sustainability agreed instantly. After a tough internal selection process, MilenniumIT picked me as their representing candidate.

Q: What did you think you were going to face before going on the expedition, and how different was it when you got there?

A: Nothing prepares you for the sheer magnificence of Antarctica. It was so grand and more beautiful than I imagined it to be. The rich wildlife of this uninhabited continent really surprised me.

Minke whales escorted our ship, The Sea Spirit, into Mikkelsen harbour where leopard seals popped out of the water to welcome us. I saw penguins dancing on the snow, acrobatic fur seals circling our ship, and killer and humpback whales swimming by us just ten meters away. That was just amazing.

However, Antarctica is also a place where you can witness hard evidence of climate change which include glaciers retreating, cracking of ice-shelves, and rising sea levels. You can actually measure the distance a given glacier has retreated over a period of time, previous levels of the sea, and avalanches taking place before your eyes. That bit was quite scary. It is troublesome to note that such does have an impact on the world, but the worst is that we are already seeing the impacts of climate change.

Q: Tell us about your experience with Sir Robert Swan?

A: It was inspirational. Though he is a popular personality, to the team he was just Rob. I was impressed with the fact that he had taken the trouble to learn all of our names. He was truly the life and soul of the expedition. His serious side we saw during the sustainability and environmental awareness sessions which he conducted. Encouraging and inspiring us throughout the expedition, Rob shared not only his success stories, but his failures as well. Rob’s commitment showed me the importance of not quitting whatever it is that you take up in life. He still keeps in touch and continues to motivate us.

Q: What interested you the most during your journey?

A: The adventure. Dangerous hikes up steep, slippery mountains and glaciers lined with deep crevasses. Camping in sleeping-bags in sub-zero conditions, watching millions of stars in what must be the clearest skies in the world. The ‘polar plunge’ was certainly what interested me the most. It was an activity that challenged the most daring members of the expedition to take a dip in the icy cold waters. I did it, and it was the cherry on top.

Q: What did you find most challenging?

A: The cold. Even though I dared the polar plunge, the low temperature of the Antarctic was my biggest challenge. Even at daytime the temperatures never rose above 5°C, and the wind made it feel a lot worse. For a girl who comes from a sunny island, it was quite tough to cope.

Q: From a corporate sustainability point of view, what did you learn?

A: Sustainability was given a lot of attention during the expedition. The corporate sector deals with a major portion of the money in our economy. After the Government, I think it’s probably companies that can help make a significant difference. If we can get corporations of the world to embrace sustainable practices, humanity will have a much better chance of weathering the effects of climate change.

Q: In Sri Lanka, where is there room for improvement?

A: Sustainability-driven organisations measure success along a ‘triple bottom line’ where they measure not only profits or shareholder value, but also the effects of their operations on society and the environment. Most Sri Lankan companies only focus on profit and shareholder value. They do sometimes consider the social bottom line, usually in terms of acts of corporate charity, but the environmental factor is considered only by a handful.

Companies need to appreciate the necessity as well as the benefits of sustainable business practices. Their attitude to the environment may decide their future and probably everybody else’s.

Q: How do you think your learning can help Sri Lanka?

A: The expedition has inspired me and I want to inspire other people and companies. As I do, I want others to take sustainability as seriously as they take their bottom line. It’s great to know that I don’t have to do this alone. The 2041 Foundation acts as a global support system and the friends I made on the expedition will also help me to get the message across – just as I’ll be able to help them. I am now in contact with many like-minded people who are from different industries all over the world. I also made some valuable connections with climate-change and sustainability experts who were on the expedition. I hope I will be able to leverage their skills, expertise and connections.

Q: What do you see as the main difficulty in promoting sustainability amongst the corporate in Sri Lanka?

A: We are a middle income country that is still recovering from a long scarring war. We have problems related to basic needs such as sustenance, clothes and safe shelter. When such problems arise, protecting the planet and promoting sustainable practices are not elements that would top the nation’s list of priorities.

It’s sad to note that people who choose unsustainable practices only to ensure they stay alive for the day are easier to work with than those who have all the resources to live sustainably but choose not to simply because they are indifferent to what tomorrow might be. I have to say this is a huge problem even in the richer economies. Raising awareness and getting such people onboard the sustainability bus is always a challenge. But at MillenniumIT, we’re used to tackling challenges.