Applying a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to the Ecological Restoration of the Beira Lake in Colombo: Assessing the Economic Value of Restoration Interventions Analysis

This case study describes a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) assessment conducted for Indocean Developers (Pvt) Ltd. to evaluate the economic impact of four ecological restoration scenarios for Beira Lake in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The analysis focuses on the relationship between water clarity improvements and their subsequent effects on property values and recreational spending between 2020 and 2025.

• The SAVi assessment evaluated four intervention scenarios for Beira Lake: Scenario 1 (Business-as-usual), Scenario 2 (Wastewater treatment upgrades), Scenario 3 (Dredging of lake deposits), and Scenario 4 (Combined wastewater treatment and dredging). Scenario 4 involves a one-time dredging of 180,000 m3 of lake bottom sediments in 2021 and increasing wastewater treatment to 100% share and 96% nutrient removal efficiency by 2025.
• Scenario 4 (Combined) provides the highest absolute economic benefits, with property values increasing by over USD 43 million by the end of 2025 and cumulative recreational spending increasing by USD 19.5 million between 2020 and 2025. However, this requires the highest investment of USD 6.3 million, resulting in a benefit-to-cost ratio of 9.92.
• Scenario 2 (Wastewater treatment upgrades) is identified as the most cost-effective option, yielding the highest benefit-to-cost ratio of 39.67. This scenario results in a property value increase of USD 14.3 million by the end of 2025 and approximately USD 10 million in additional spending by locals and tourists over the 2020–2025 period, with a total cost of USD 620,032.
• Scenario 3 (Dredging) performed the worst of the active interventions, providing lower benefits than Scenarios 2 and 4. It resulted in a property value net change of USD 5,098,886 and a benefit-to-cost ratio of 2.09, with the highest single cost being sediment removal at USD 5,712,616.

APA

Bassi, A. M., Perera, O., Wuennenberg, L., & Pallaske, G. (n.d.). Applying a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to the Ecological Restoration of the Beira Lake in Colombo: Assessing the Economic Value of Restoration Interventions Analysis. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-sri-lanka-beira-lake-brochure-en.pdf

Chicago

Bassi, Andrea M., Oshani Perera, Laurin Wuennenberg, and Georg Pallaske. Applying a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to the Ecological Restoration of the Beira Lake in Colombo: Assessing the Economic Value of Restoration Interventions Analysis. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-sri-lanka-beira-lake-brochure-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bassi |first1=Andrea M. |last2=Perera |first2=Oshani |last3=Wuennenberg |first3=Laurin |last4=Pallaske |first4=Georg |title=Applying a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to the Ecological Restoration of the Beira Lake in Colombo: Assessing the Economic Value of Restoration Interventions Analysis |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-sri-lanka-beira-lake-brochure-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bassindapplying, author = {Bassi, Andrea M. and Perera, Oshani and Wuennenberg, Laurin and Pallaske, Georg}, title = {{Applying a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to the Ecological Restoration of the Beira Lake in Colombo: Assessing the Economic Value of Restoration Interventions Analysis}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-sri-lanka-beira-lake-brochure-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }