de ‧ sert ‧ i ‧ fi ‧ ca ‧ tion /dɪˌzɜːtəfəˈkeɪʃ ə n, dɪˌzɜːtɪfəˈkeɪʃ ə n $ -ˌzɜːr-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable] technical
the process by which useful land, especially farmland, changes into desert
de ‧ sert ‧ i ‧ fi ‧ ca ‧ tion /dɪˌzɜːtəfəˈkeɪʃ ə n, dɪˌzɜːtɪfəˈkeɪʃ ə n $ -ˌzɜːr-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable] technical
the process by which useful land, especially farmland, changes into desert
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longman - Словарь современного английского языка. 2012