Desertification is a type of land degradation. It occurs when drylands become increasingly arid or desert-like. Desertification doesn’t necessarily mean that these water-scarce regions will transform into desert climates — only that their land’s natural productivity is lost and its surface and groundwater resources are diminished. (In order for a climatological desert to form, a location must evaporate all of the rain or snow it receives annually. Drylands evaporate no more than 65% of the precipitation they receive.)1 Of course, if desertification is severe and persistent, it can influence a region’s climate.

If desertification is addressed early enough and is slight, it can be reversed. But once lands are severely desertified, it is extremely difficult (and costly) to restore them.

Desertification is a significant global environmental issue, but it isn’t widely discussed. One possible reason why is because the word “desert” misrepresents the parts of the world and populations who are at risk. However, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), drylands cover about 46% of the Earth’s land area, and as much as 40% of the United States.23 In theory, this means that roughly half of the world, and half of the nation, is susceptible not only to desertification, but to its negative impacts: infertile soil, loss of vegetation, loss of wildlife, and, in short, loss of biodiversity — the variation of life on Earth.
What Causes Desertification

Desertification is caused by natural events, such as droughts and wildfires, as well as by human activities, such as land mismanagement and global warming. Read further from the source above