Rising water levels in East African Rift Valley lakes, observed since 2010 and peaking between 2015-2016, are attributed to a combination of natural cycles, increased rainfall, and catchment degradation.

• The phenomenon is impacting lakes across the Eastern Africa region, including Lake Victoria, Lake Manyara, and Lake Natron.
• Professor Daniel Olago, an Environmental Geoscience Professor at the University of Nairobi, highlights paleoclimatological studies indicating historical lake fluctuations.
• Degradation of lake catchments, particularly deforestation and unsustainable land use, exacerbates the effects of rainfall by increasing erosion and sedimentation, worsening the situation for lakes like Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria.