Second Minister for NationalDevelopment Desmond Lee likened the seed bank to a form of insurance for plantbiodiversity amid increasing threats from diseases, natural disasters andclimate change.
The bank will be put under themanagement of the National ParksBoard with a storage capacity of up to25,000 plant species, half the number of seed plant species in the region andmore than double of that currently found in the Singapore Botanic Gardens,which has around 10,000 species.
Seeds stored in the bank can beused in habitat restoration and species conservation projects in Singapore andthe region in the future, when the need arises.
The seed bank also houses a seedbiology lab, rooms for seed processing and storage freezers, where scientistswill conduct research on various storage methods to keep seeds collected fromtropical plants for long periods of time.
Visitors can also learn about seedbanking and conservation work at galleries and an outdoor garden within thefacility.-VNA