Lake Kivu is a unique lake located in the East African Rift. It is the only lake in the world that contains such large amounts of dissolved methane that it could be used for commercial electricity production. The dissolved gases in the lake are also an unusual natural hazard, as a strong event, such as a volcanic eruption within the lake, might potentially lead to a catastrophic gas release. The lake is also very interesting from the scientific point of view, as its special properties make it a perfect natural laboratory to investigate physical, chemical or microbiological processes. In the last decade, since the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in 2002, lake has been the subject of several research and consulting activities, where almost all research groups of the department of Surface Waters at Eawag have been involved.