desertification
desertification — noun
1. the process in which farmland or other productive land slowly becomes dry and tu
the process in which farmland or other productive land slowly becomes dry and turns into a desert, often because of human activities such as too much farming, the loss of trees, or climate change
Desertification has forced thousands of families in the Gobi region to move to cities in search of work.
desertification + force [people] + to [move]
The United Nations report warns that desertification threatens the food supply of over a billion people.
desertification + threaten + [food supply]
Farmers in northern Kenya are planting rows of trees to stop desertification from destroying their soil.
The steady advance of desertification has made it impossible for villagers in Senegal to grow enough food.
- land degradation
broader term that includes desertification plus other forms of environmental damage
- soil erosion
narrower term referring specifically to the loss of topsoil, which is one part of desertification
- reforestation
the opposite process — planting trees to restore land
- land restoration
the process of returning damaged land to a healthy, productive state
用法筆記
An uncountable noun used mainly in environmental science and news reporting. Commonly appears with verbs like 'fight', 'combat', 'prevent', 'slow', and 'reverse'. The term is broader than 'deforestation' — desertification includes soil degradation, water loss, and vegetation decline.