Definition
The process by which fertile land gradually turns into desert, usually due to drought, overuse, or climate change.
Etymology
From 'desert' plus the suffix '-fication' (from Latin 'facere,' to make). The word was coined in the 1970s as scientists realized climates were becoming drier and land was being converted into deserts.
Kelly Says
Desertification was named as a phenomenon during the African droughts of the 1960s-70s—before that, people didn't have one word for this creeping environmental tragedy. Now it's a global crisis: the Sahara has expanded 30% in a century, literally eating neighboring grasslands.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
ARالعربية
صحراوية
sa-hra-wiya
BNবাংলা
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
CACatalà
desertificació
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
CSČeština
desertifikace
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-ce
DADansk
desertificering
deh-ser-ti-fi-er-ing
DEDeutsch
Desertifikation
deh-zer-ti-fi-ka-syon
ELΕλληνικά
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
ESEspañol
desertificacion
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
FAفارسی
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
FISuomi
desertifikaatio
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-atio
FRFrançais
désertification
deh-zer-ti-fi-ka-syon
GUGU
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
HAHA
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
HEעברית
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
HIहिन्दी
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
HUMagyar
desertifikáció
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
IDBahasa Indonesia
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
IGIG
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
ITItaliano
desertificazione
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
JA日本語
desertification
dezā-tī-fika-syon
KKKK
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
KMKM
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
KO한국어
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
MRMR
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
MSBahasa Melayu
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
MYမြန်မာ
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
NLNederlands
desertificatie
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
NONorsk
desertifisering
deh-ser-ti-fi-er-ing
PAPA
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
PLPolski
desertifikacja
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
PTPortuguês
desertificação
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
RORomână
desertificare
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-re
RUРусский
дезертификация
deh-zer-ti-fi-ka-syia
SVSvenska
desertifiering
deh-ser-ti-fi-er-ing
SWKiswahili
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
TAதமிழ்
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
TEతెలుగు
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
THไทย
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
TLTL
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
TRTürkçe
çölleşme
chohl-lesh-meh
UKУкраїнська
дезертифікація
deh-zer-ti-fi-ka-tsiia
URاردو
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
VITiếng Việt
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
YOYO
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
ZH中文
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon
ZUZU
desertification
deh-ser-ti-fi-ka-syon