Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Why in news?

Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV) facility in Norway has recently faced a grave existential threat.

What is SGSV?

• SGSV facility lies 360 feet inside of the 1,500-foot Platåberget mountain in Nordenskiöld Land on the island of Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway.
• It is a vault that contains humanity’s ultimate food security.
• Millions of seeds of various crop varieties are locked in airtight boxes at minus 18 degrees Celsius.
• It is built to withstand manmade and natural disasters.
• It is theoretically protected against conventional bombs, and sits out of reach of rising sea levels.
• Norway’s government owns the vault.
• Depositors retain ownership rights.
• India has sent around 9.5 crore seeds to Svalbard.

What is the threat?

• Permafrost refers to the perennially frozen soil found in the Earth’s higher latitudes.
• Technically, it is ground that remains at or below a temperature of 0°C for at least 2 consecutive years.
• The permafrost around the entrance of the vault melted, flooding the access tunnel with water.
• The thaw in the permafrost around the entrance of the facility is likely the result of consistently rising global temperatures. 
• The builders of the SGSV announced that repairs were under way at the facility, and that water had reached no seeds.

Source: The Indian Express