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Singapore gets seed bank to preserve biodiversity

Singapore will have its first seed bank next year, storing seeds of up to 25,000 plant species, in an effort to protect threatened plant species from South-east Asia.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens Seed Bank will be set up by the National Parks Board (NParks) in House 4, the largest of the five colonial-style houses within the former Raffles College.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who announced the initiative, said that seed banking is a form of insurance for plant biodiversity.

"It ensures that seeds will be available in future for research and restoration projects," he said, adding that it will enable the Botanic Gardens to support species reintroduction efforts throughout the region.

"The biodiversity of ecosystems around the world is diminishing at an unprecedented rate, which means that decades from now, some of the plant species that we are familiar with today may not even be available," said Mr Wong.

Read more at The Straits Times (Amelia Teng)
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