Water Loss Mechanisms in East African Lakes

East African Rift lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika, Malawi, Turkana, etc.) lose water through multiple processes:

1. Evaporation – Dominant loss. High equatorial sun, temperatures, and wind drive massive surface evaporation, especially in dry seasons. Lake Turkana loses ~2.3 m/yr to evaporation.
2. Infiltration & Percolation – Porous volcanic bedrock allows lake water to seep into groundwater systems, recharging aquifers.
3. Transpiration – Lakeshore vegetation (wetlands, forests) releases soil moisture to atmosphere.
4. Surface Outflows – Rivers drain some lakes: Victoria → Nile; Tanganyika → Lukuga → Congo; Kyoga → Nile. Outflow varies seasonally.
5. Subsurface Seepage – Fault/fracture networks channel water underground, forming springs elsewhere (e.g., Lake Naivasha seepage).
6. Human Abstraction – Increasing irrigation, municipal, and industrial withdrawals.

Climate change amplifies evaporation; land use changes affect infiltration. Water balance determines lake levels, salinity, and ecosystem health.