Definition of desertification
: the process of becoming desert (as from land mismanagement or climate change)
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Examples of desertification in a Sentence
The organization was awarded for its efforts to prevent further desertification in Africa.
Recent Examples of desertification from the Web
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Some scholars say that this policy is misguided, and that animal grazing is not the main cause of desertification.
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By trying to escape the desert nomads are unwittingly accelerating the desertification of less arid areas, according to the group.
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A long-term drying trend (also known as desertification) is evident in the decreasing levels of Cape Town's parched reservoirs, which are intended to supply the city's water.
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Poaching and desertification had a devastating effect in the past, and those factors haven’t gone anywhere.
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In 1994, China’s forestry administration started monitoring the status of desertification nationally.
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And with desertification expanding in many parts of North Africa, being able to live in and around the desert is actually growing in its relevance.
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Droughts and desertification lead to humanitarian crises, which can turn into border conflicts and refugee migrations.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'desertification.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of desertification
1972
Other Geology Terms
anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale
DESERTIFICATION Defined for English Language Learners
desertification
playDefinition of desertification for English Language Learners
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: the process by which an area becomes a desert
Learn More about desertification
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Nglish: Translation of desertification for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about desertification
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