There are 1400 other seed vaults in the world. This vault in the "Doomsday" seed vault insures against the loss of seeds in the other seed banks as well as acting as a refuge for seeds in case of a large scale global crisis. The Doomsday seed vault is managed by an agreement between the Norwegian government and the Global Crop Diversity Trust or (GCDT) and also the Nordic Genetic Resource Center.
One Half Million Vegetable and Other Crops Seeds Stored at The Doomsday Seed Vault
Construction of the Doomsday seed vault was paid for by the government of Norway and the storage of seeds in the vault is free. Operational cost are paid for by GCDT and the government of Norway. Two years into it’s operation the seed vault has amassed a half million seed samples, making the Doomsday seed vault the most diverse repository of crop seeds in the world.
Cary Fowler who heads the trust that oversees the operation and seed collection of the vault said the facility houses at least one third of the world’s crop seeds. “In my lifetime I don’t think we will go over 1.5 million. I’d be rather surprised if we go over a million "Fowler told the Associated Press. “At that point we would have all the diversity in the world and the most secure samples.”
The Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan
War has wiped out seed banks in Iraq and Afghanistan and another bank in the Philippians was destroyed in a flood caused by a typhoon in 2006. The Svalbard Global Doomsday Seed Bank is designed to withstand global warming, earthquakes and even nuclear strikes.
The Bill Gates Foundation has contributed some 30 million dollars along with the Rockefeller Foundation, the Monsanto Corporation and others. The Doomsday seed vault is actually built inside a mountain. The vault has two blast-proof doors with motion sensors, two air locks and walls of reinforced concrete one meter thick.
From Apple Seeds to Plant Bulbs to a Beacon of Light
A work of art will make the Doomsday seed vault visable for miles around. Artist Dyveke Sanne and KORO the Norwegian agency over-seeing art in public places, have worked together to fill the roof and Doomsday seed vault entrance with highly reflective steel mirrors and prisms. The installation acts as a beacon, reflecting polar light in the summer months, while in the winter, a network of 200 fibre-optic cables will give the piece a muted greenish turquoised and white light.
Reference
Article by Charles Q. Choi 2007 "Norway Reveals The Doomsday Vault"LiveScience.com Acssess March 13 2010
Article by Ian MacDougall March 10,2010 Associated Press "Norway Doomsday Seed Vault hits 1/2 million mark http://www.livescience.com/environment/070208_doomsday_seeds.html
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