Welcome to Gobabeb!

The mission of Gobabeb is to be a catalyst for gathering, understanding and sharing knowledge about arid environments, especially the hyperarid Namib Desert.

We are committed to skills development of emerging environmental specialists and decision-makers.


The Gobabeb environment

Gobabeb sits in the heart of the hyperarid Namib Desert. It provides easy access to the three distinct ecosystems of the Namib, reflected in our logo: the Sand Sea to the south, the Gravel Plains to the north, and the riparian woodlands of the ephemeral Kuiseb River.

These three ecosystems provide a rich diversity of arid-adapted organisms. The Namib biota includes a number of endemic taxa.

Gobabeb also is situated on the ecotone between fog and rain precipitation, enhancing further Gobabeb's unique capacity for desert research.

Gobabeb is embedded in the indigenous cultural landscape of the ≠Aonin (Topnaar) Nama pastoralists that have inhabited the Kuiseb River basin for centuries.


Gobabeb - Namib Research Institute headquarters, with a spectacular backdrop of cumulus clouds over the highlands to the east.