1. the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert; is usually caused by climate change or by destructive use of the land; - Example: "the dust storms in Korea are the result of rapid desertification in China"
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
desertification
n 1: the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert;
is usually caused by climate change or by destructive use
of the land; "the dust storms in Korea are the result of
rapid desertification in China"