The African Great Lakes contain more than 25% of Earth's surface freshwater, yet many of their unique species face extinction

East Africa’s Great Lakes—spanning ten countries along the East African Rift—hold more than 25% of the planet’s surface freshwater and support over 50 million people through food and jobs. The region’s biodiversity is exceptionally high, with fish, crustaceans and other invertebrates found nowhere else, and it includes Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake by surface area, and Lake Tanganyika, second worldwide by depth and volume. A global assessment published in Nature reports that one-quarter of freshwater fauna is threatened with extinction, with the highest concentration of at-risk species centered around Lake Victoria. Crabs, crayfish and shrimp face the steepest risk, with roughly a third of species threatened.