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Malawi (Nyasa, Niassa)
General Information
| Description |
Lake Malawi is the fifth largest lake in the world by volume, exceeded only by the Caspian, Baikal, Tanganyika and Superior. It is also one of less than 20 ancient lakes on earth, and probably contains the most diverse lake fish fauna in the world. |
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| Country |
Malawi
Mozambique
Tanzania
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| Latitude |
-12° 0' 0"
(-12.0000) |
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| Longitude |
34° 30'
0" (34.5000) |
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| State |
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| Lake Region |
African Great Lakes
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| River Basin |
Zambezi
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Maps
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Malawi global index map (LakeNet Explorer)
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Largest Lakes in the World by Area (LakeNet Explorer 2004)
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Largest Lakes of the World by Volume (LakeNet Explorer 2004)
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Malawi locator map |
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Ancient Lakes of the World |
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Physical Characteristics
| Description |
Over 90% of the lake area lies above a water depth greater than 100 meters. Nankumba Peninsula projects into Lake Malawi and has poor soils susceptible to erosion. |
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| Volume |
7,775.00 km3 |
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| Surface Area |
29,500.00 km2 |
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| Depth |
Mean depth: 264.0 m
Maximum depth: 706.0 m
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| Residence Time |
114.0 years |
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| Age |
2 million - 20 million years before present
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| Origin |
Tectonic
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| Type |
Fresh
Permanent
Natural
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| Catchment |
Catchment size: 100,500.00
km2
Catchment/surface area ratio: 3:1 |
Socio-Political
| Economic Value |
Lake Malawi is a critical resource for the people of Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi -- who rely on it for food, drinking water, irrigation and hydroelectricity. Local soil is poor and the crop failure rate is 50%. Lakeshore inhabitants depend heavily on fish for their diets. Much of the lakeshore is heavily populated. |
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| Major Cities |
Mzuzu, Lilongwe |
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Watershed Management
| Description |
Lake Malawi National Park has been designated a Natural World Heritage Site. The site includes both terrestrial and aquatic areas. Traditional fishing methods aimed at catching migratory fish are permitted in limited areas, although in most of the park the resident fish are completely protected. A management plan is being implemented for the site. |
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| Issues |
Intensified agriculture and continued deforestation threaten Lake Malawi. As fires are set to clear land and renew soil fertility, atmospheric deposition of nutrients to the lake has increased. There is some evidence this may favor the proliferation of blue-green algae, which are potentially toxic to humans, domestic animals and aquatic life. There is also evidence that concentrations of persistent organochlorines in the lake's fauna may be rising due to atmospheric deposition and changes in land use. Although fishing intensity is low in the open water areas, fishing between shore and 200 meters is intensive. A number of species are already overexploited and local species extinctions have occured. Since cichlid fish, for which the African Great Lakes are famous, are not rapid reproducers, they are especially suseptable to extinction from overfishing. Addressing both species protection and growing food needs in the region will be important. Intentional species introductions have been discussed repeatedly, but do not appear to be likely at present.
The area around Cape Maclear is polluted from powerboats. |
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| Other Issues |
Aquarium trade
Atmospheric Deposition
Nutrient pollution
Invasive Species
Erosion
Toxics
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| Specific Contaminants |
Industrial
Pesticides
POPs/PCPs/Endocrine Disrupters
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| Monitoring |
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Biodiversity Conservation
| Description |
More than 450 species of fish have been identified in Lake Malawi, and estimates are that a thorough biodiversity survey could double that number. Most identified fish species are endemic. The lake also has endemic invertebrates, although little is known about these populations. |
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| Designations |
Biosphere Reserve
LakeNet Biodiversity Priority
National Designation
WWF Global 200
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| Species of Concern |
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| Species Richness |
High |
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| Endemism |
High |
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| Other Species Info |
Unusual phenomena
Global rarity
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| Biological Distinctiveness |
Globally outstanding |
Organizations
LakeNet Programs
Documents
Resources
News
Additional Data Sources
| • |
Birkett, C., and I. Mason. 1995. A new global lakes database for remote sensing programme studying climatically sensitive large lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 21 (3) 307-318. |
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| • |
Duker, L. and L. Borre. 2001. Biodiversity conservation of the world's lakes: a preliminary framework for identifying priorities. LakeNet Report Series Number 2. Annapolis, Maryland USA. |
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| • |
Herdendorf, C. 1982. Large lakes of the world. Journal of Great Lakes Research 8:379-412. |
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| • |
Munawar, M. And R. Hecky. 2001. The Great Lakes of the World (GLOW) Food-web, Health & Integrity. Backhuys Publishers, The Netherlands. |
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