Articles | Volume 30, issue 16
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-5297-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-5297-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
20 Aug 2026
Research article |
| 20 Aug 2026
| 20 Aug 2026
Lake Victoria to the Sudd Wetland: flood wave timing, connectivity and wetland buffering across the White Nile
Douglas Mulangwa
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BB, UK
Department of Water Resources Monitoring and Assessment, Ministry of Water and Environment, Kampala, Uganda
Evet Naturinda
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BB, UK
Charles Koboji
Directorate of Hydrology and Survey, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Juba, South Sudan
Benon T. Zaake
Department of Water Resources Monitoring and Assessment, Ministry of Water and Environment, Kampala, Uganda
Emily Black
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BB, UK
National Centre for Atmospheric Science, Reading, UK
Hannah Cloke
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BB, UK
Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK
Elisabeth M. Stephens
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BB, UK
Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, The Hague, 2521 CV, the Netherlands
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Short summary
This study traced how water moved from Lake Victoria to the Sudd wetlands to explain the prolonged flooding in South Sudan between 2019 and 2024. Using satellite observations, rainfall records, and lake and river measurements, we found that water takes about 17 months to travel through the system, much longer than previously assumed 5 months. The results show that lakes and wetlands can store and slowly release water over several years, helping improve flood forecasting and early warning.
This study traced how water moved from Lake Victoria to the Sudd wetlands to explain...
