desertification
nounUK /dɪˌzɜː.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ · US /dɪˌzɝ.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
Etymology From desert + -ification (“process of becoming”).
1
The process by which a geographic region becomes a desert, resulting from natural changes in climate or by human activity.
- Desertification, as defined by the CCD, means "land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities."1998, “Fact Sheet: Desertification”, in United States Department of State, archived from the original on 03 Apr 2019:
- desertification – the spread of desert-like conditions in arid or semi-arid areas, due to overgrazing, loss of agriculturally productive soils, or climate change2003, Central Intelligence Agency, The 2003 CIA World Factbook, archived from the original on 07 Dec 2025:
1 more example
- A first major shift in physical scientists' perception of the Sahel and desertification, defined as “land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities” (United Nations 1994), occurred following the introduction in the early 1980s of novel remote sensing technology to monitor vegetation cover. […] Given the role of climate in desertification and regreening, resolving the attribution question (i.e., of land cover change to climatic or human factors) is of relevance to adaptation to climate change2016 January 1, Giannini et al., “A Quantitative Evaluation of the Multiple Narratives of the Recent Sahelian Regreening”, in Weather, Climate, and Society, archived from the original on 16 Jan 2026:
- Synonyms
- desertization, land degradation
- Antonyms
- afforestation, reforestation, regreening
- Derived terms
- antidesertification