Some of the buildings that have been submerged by the rising water at Lake Nakuru National park on September 6, 2018. [Caroline Chebet, Standard]
Kenyan geologists have launched a fresh assessment of rising water levels in Rift Valley lakes to establish whether geological changes beneath the earth’s surface are contributing to the phenomenon, which has displaced communities, submerged farms and altered wildlife habitats.
The investigation comes as scientists intensify monitoring of the East African Rift, where continuing tectonic activity has raised questions about changes in underground water pathways.
The Geologists Registration Board has in recent weeks examined lakes Baringo, Bogoria, Solai, Nakuru, Elementaita and Naivasha to establish the causes of the rising water levels.
Board registrar and chief executive officer Enock Kipseba said the team was seeking to determine whether geological processes were playing a role alongside rainfall and groundwater recharge. “We want to find out the kind of geological factors contributing to the rising levels of the lakes.”
The scientists are examining several possible explanations, including increased rainfall, groundwater recharge, land degradation and erosion, and movement along active faults associated with the East African Rift.
Board chair Lonjomon Biwott said the investigation was particularly important because the lakes lie within an active geological system undergoing continuous change. “The issue really is the lakes are in the rifts and we are all aware the rifts are undergoing changes.”
One possibility being investigated is whether sections of the rift are subsiding, potentially altering underground channels through which water normally drains.