The East African Rift Valley sits between the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia and Mozambique. Within it lie a series of freshwater and alkaline lakes organised like a string of pearls.
The Kenyan lakes in the Rift have witnessed significant water level increases. Recent increases in lake areas range from 21% for Lake Naivasha to 123% for Solai. Homes, schools and hospitals have been flooded. A Kenyan government report estimates that about 80,000 households – 400,000 people – have been affected by the floods since 2010. There are grave economic consequences, since agricultural fields and tourism infrastructure have been damaged.
