The location of the Vault is just 1,300 kilometers from the North Pole, which is not an easy place for visitors to reach.
As the region is located at a higher altitude above the sea level, so the Vault is naturally secured from ocean flooding as stated by worst-case scenario sea level rises.
The area where the Vault is located is geologically very stable with low levels of humidity.
Some of the seed samples were then stored back in the Vault while some were added to the genebanks of ICARDA in Morocco and Lebanon.
The plantation and multiplication of seeds were carried out in Morocco and Lebanon.
In 2017, ICARDA withdrew seeds for the second time on a larger scale.
To regenerate those seeds, the ICARDA decided in 2015 to withdraw some of its backup samples it had stored at the seed Vault.
Therefore, it was not able to distribute seed samples. The war created a situation due to which the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) was not able to maintain its genebank in Syria.
The backup providing role of the Seed Vault was observed in the recent Syrian Civil War.
The seed vault would provide protection and backup in case of any accidental or catastrophic loss of crop diversity stored in traditional seed banks throughout the world.
The major purpose of the Svalbard seed vault is to store backups of the seed samples from the crop collections of the world.
Up to 148 countries approved this treaty.
In most cases, seed samples in the genebanks are accessible according to the terms and conditions of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
But instead, they would request the depositing genebanks for the seed samples.
If someone (researchers, plant breeders, and others) want access to the seed samples stored in the Vault, they can not do so directly through the seed Vault.
Seed samples stored in the Vault are copies of the seeds stored in the depositing genebanks.
Who Has Access To Seeds Stored In The Doomsday Seed Vault
The permafrost surrounding the vault will help in the maintenance of low temperatures if the power supply cuts or fails.
Such a low temperature and very low oxygen in the containers decreases metabolic activity in the seeds and delays its aging process.
The temperature of the storage rooms is kept -18 ℃ (-0.4 ℉).
These packages are then kept in the plastic tote containers, which are then placed on metal shelving racks.
Seeds are stored in sealed and airtight three-layered thick foil packages, which are made up of aluminum.
This is known as “black box” in genbank terminology.
Seed samples’ deposit in the Svalbard seed vault does not build a legal transfer of genetic resources.
In the same way, the Government of Norway owns the seed vault, while seeds are the property of the depositing genebanks they send there.
The bank only owns the building while the content of the box is the property of the depositor.
The Svalbard seed vault works just like a secure deposit box in a bank.
Guidance and advice are taken from an International Advisory Council, which include representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CGIAR, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, and many other organizations.
The operations of the vault and maintenance of the public database of dipositers is carried out by the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen).
It not only provides funds for ongoing operations but also financially assists the depositors to prepare their shipments.
The Crop Trust is the major provider of fundings.
The Kingdom of Norway is the owner of the seed vault.
The management of the seed vault is carried out under terms explicated in an agreement among three parties, that are the Norwegian Government, the Crop Trust, and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen).
The storage capacity of the vault is up to 4.5 million seed samples.
It provides safety and security for the food supply of the world in case of any incident that could lead to loss of seeds in the genebanks, such as accident, natural disasters, failure of equipment, and cutting of the funds.
The purpose of the seed vault is to provide long term storage of the duplicates of seed samples that are conserved throughout the world.
It is located on the Norwegian Island of Spitsbergen above the Arctic Circle in the Svalbard archipelago.
It is a secure reserve of seeds for the crop diversity of the world.
The “doomsday” seed vault is the nickname of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
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