desertification

American  

[dih-zur-tuh-fi-key-shuhn] / dɪˌzɜr tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

Also desertization

noun

Ecology.

1. the processes by which an area becomes a desert.

2. the rapid depletion of plant life and the loss of topsoil at desert boundaries and in semiarid regions, caused mostly by a combination of drought and such human practices as deforestation and unsustainable agriculture, the effects of which are exacerbated by climate change.

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desertification British  

/ dɪˌzɜːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. a process by which fertile land turns into barren land or desert

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desertification Scientific  

/ dĭ-zûr′tə-fĭ-kā′shən /

1. The transformation of land once suitable for agriculture into desert. Desertification can result from climate change or from human practices such as deforestation and overgrazing.

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Etymology

Origin of desertification

First recorded in 1970–75; desert ¹ + -i- + -fication

Example Sentences

While sand and the steppe have always been part of life in Central Asia, scientists warn climate change and other human activities are accelerating desertification and the degradation of the land.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

Mr Batra explains the goal is "to help combat desertification".

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025

New research shows how the world's oases have grown and shrunk over the past 25 years as water availability patterns changed and desertification encroaches on these wet refuges.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2024

The country is responsible for a tiny fraction of world-wide emissions, yet Chile is particularly vulnerable to drought and desertification.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2024

The addition of nearly   100 million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is exacerbating   the problems of pollution, desertification, underemployment, epidemics, and   famine.

From The 1993 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Related Words

• erosion
• logging