Analysis of Grey and Natural Infrastructure for Lake Conservation Applying the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to Lake Dal, in Srinagar, State of Jammu & Kashmir, India

This report presents interim results from a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) analysis conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to develop a business case for the long-term conservation of Lake Dal in Srinagar, India. The analysis evaluates five infrastructure scenarios to address water quality degradation caused by sewage, encroachment, and runoff, comparing their costs, benefits, and impacts on water quality indicators between 2019 and 2060. The project was halted in June 2018 due to the imposition of Governor's Rule in Jammu & Kashmir.

• Lake Dal faces significant anthropogenic pressures, including the discharge of untreated domestic sewage, fertilizer runoff from agriculture, water extraction, and encroachment, which have caused eutrophication, declining fish stocks, and reduced water quality.
• The 'Business-as-usual' (BAU) scenario for 2018 assumes that 75% of the lake's periphery is connected to the sewage network, while sewage from houseboats and lake dwellers not connected to the network flows untreated into the lake. Under this scenario, water quality is projected to spiral downward, threatening the local fishery industry and reducing tourism revenues by 2060.
• A hybrid infrastructure upgrade (Scenario 3), which combines upgraded sewage treatment with the construction of a 500 ha artificial wetland, provides the highest net benefits for Srinagar at INR 360 billion. This scenario's net benefits are 62% higher than a grey-infrastructure-only upgrade, despite only an 8.6% increase in investment.
• The hybrid infrastructure scenario (Scenario 3) is the most effective for water quality improvement between 2030 and 2060, reducing nitrogen concentration by an average of 65.5%, reducing chlorophyll-a concentration by nearly 90%, and improving water clarity by an average of 174% compared to the BAU scenario.
• Constructing the 20 km Western Foreshore Road (Scenario 4) reduces net benefits compared to the hybrid upgrade due to high construction and maintenance costs, as well as damage to water quality and lake integrity caused by new encroachment and the sealed road surface. This road is projected to reduce tourism and fishery revenues by over INR 72 billion by 2060 compared to the hybrid intervention.
• Treating sewage only from houseboats (Scenario 1) is deemed not worthwhile, as it requires an investment of INR 768 million but yields negligible benefits, resulting in negative net results.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Analysis of Grey and Natural Infrastructure for Lake Conservation Applying the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to Lake Dal, in Srinagar, State of Jammu & Kashmir, India. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-dal-lake-india-brochure.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Analysis of Grey and Natural Infrastructure for Lake Conservation Applying the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to Lake Dal, in Srinagar, State of Jammu & Kashmir, India. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-dal-lake-india-brochure.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Analysis of Grey and Natural Infrastructure for Lake Conservation Applying the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to Lake Dal, in Srinagar, State of Jammu & Kashmir, India |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-dal-lake-india-brochure.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndanalysis, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Analysis of Grey and Natural Infrastructure for Lake Conservation Applying the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to Lake Dal, in Srinagar, State of Jammu \& Kashmir, India}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-dal-lake-india-brochure.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }