Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
Desertización / desertificación
English translation:
Man-made Desertification / Natural Desertification
Added to glossary by
Lisa McCarthy
Dec 5, 2011 11:34
12 yrs ago
4 viewers *
Spanish term
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English
Desertización / desertificación
Spanish to English
Social Sciences
Geography
The text I am translating makes a distinction between these two terms:
"Desertización y desertificación en literatura científica hacen referencia a procesos distintos. El término desertización alude a los procesos de formación del desierto que tienen causas puramente naturales y el término desertificación para los procesos que tienen causas de origen humano."
I have been unable to find this distinction in English. ‘Desertification’ seems to be universally used for both natural and human causes, while ‘desertization’ is a much less frequently used term which also makes no distinction as to the causes.
Does anyone know of different terms in English to refer to these two distinct processes?
Alternatively, I could ‘rewrite’ rather than simply translate the text, something along the lines of ‘Desertification is a process which may arise due to purely natural causes or may be triggered by human action….’
"Desertización y desertificación en literatura científica hacen referencia a procesos distintos. El término desertización alude a los procesos de formación del desierto que tienen causas puramente naturales y el término desertificación para los procesos que tienen causas de origen humano."
I have been unable to find this distinction in English. ‘Desertification’ seems to be universally used for both natural and human causes, while ‘desertization’ is a much less frequently used term which also makes no distinction as to the causes.
Does anyone know of different terms in English to refer to these two distinct processes?
Alternatively, I could ‘rewrite’ rather than simply translate the text, something along the lines of ‘Desertification is a process which may arise due to purely natural causes or may be triggered by human action….’
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +3 | Man-made Desertification / natural Desertification |
Lisa McCarthy
|
| 4 | (man-made) land degradation and natural desertification |
Yvonne Gallagher
|
| 4 | rewrite it |
philgoddard
|
Change log
Dec 19, 2011 08:16: Lisa McCarthy Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+3
4 mins
Lisa McCarthy
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Spain
Especialista de marketing
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, Catalan to English
Related KudoZ points
:
24
Selected
Man-made Desertification / natural Desertification
I'm not aware of 2 separate words in English either, but these terms appear ot be used.
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Note added at 8 mins (2011-12-05 11:42:36 GMT)
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PhD Thesis Summary
www.cardiff.ac.uk/cplan/contactsandpeople/.../i.../kafafy-n...
***Natural desertification** is not the only problem threatening Egypt's green Nile valley. Major cities, especially the capital Cairo, are expanding dramatically, ...
Desierto de Tabernas Natural area
www.homeownersdirectdesertsprings.com/.../desierto-de-taber...
The desert is one of the most geologically interesting landscapes in Europe, since it clearly shows the process of **natural desertification** and erosion. It features ...
38 percent of world's surface in danger of desertification
www.physorg.com/news184960683.htmlCached
9 Feb 2010 – **Man Made Desertification** primarily happens because people drain fresh ... Man made desertification actually happens though because of ...
Desertification combat and food safety: the added value of camel ... - Google Books Result
books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=1586034731...Bernard Faye, Palmated Esenov - 2005 - Nature - 225 pages
Rather widely developed is ***man-made desertification**, which is connected with ... **Man-made desertification** affects 59.2% of the Republic's territory. ...
Media Point-Counterpoint - Middle East Strategic Information
www.mesi.org.uk/Media-Point-Counterpoint.aspxCached - Similar
Blamed on a combination of climate change, **man-made desertification** and lack of irrigation, up to 60 percent of Syria's land and 1.3 million people
Why Are Some Deserts Expanding? | eHow.co.uk
www.ehow.co.uk › Vacations & Travel PlanningCached
**Man-made Desertification**. Mismanagement of dry-land ecosystems causes desertification. Increases in population, poor land use, and overgrazing are ...
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Note added at 39 mins (2011-12-05 12:14:03 GMT)
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Just came across this site that gives translations of these terms. They have used 'naturally-occurring desertification" which I think is also a valid option but maybe the term is already understood with 'natural' on its own.
http://quizlet.com/5903285/espanolextra-la-desertificacion-d...
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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-12-05 14:59:35 GMT)
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Maybe something along the lines of:
"There are two forms of desertification: one occurs naturally and the other is man-made/caused by man. "
or
"There are two forms of desertification: natural and man-made"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2011-12-05 11:42:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
PhD Thesis Summary
www.cardiff.ac.uk/cplan/contactsandpeople/.../i.../kafafy-n...
***Natural desertification** is not the only problem threatening Egypt's green Nile valley. Major cities, especially the capital Cairo, are expanding dramatically, ...
Desierto de Tabernas Natural area
www.homeownersdirectdesertsprings.com/.../desierto-de-taber...
The desert is one of the most geologically interesting landscapes in Europe, since it clearly shows the process of **natural desertification** and erosion. It features ...
38 percent of world's surface in danger of desertification
www.physorg.com/news184960683.htmlCached
9 Feb 2010 – **Man Made Desertification** primarily happens because people drain fresh ... Man made desertification actually happens though because of ...
Desertification combat and food safety: the added value of camel ... - Google Books Result
books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=1586034731...Bernard Faye, Palmated Esenov - 2005 - Nature - 225 pages
Rather widely developed is ***man-made desertification**, which is connected with ... **Man-made desertification** affects 59.2% of the Republic's territory. ...
Media Point-Counterpoint - Middle East Strategic Information
www.mesi.org.uk/Media-Point-Counterpoint.aspxCached - Similar
Blamed on a combination of climate change, **man-made desertification** and lack of irrigation, up to 60 percent of Syria's land and 1.3 million people
Why Are Some Deserts Expanding? | eHow.co.uk
www.ehow.co.uk › Vacations & Travel PlanningCached
**Man-made Desertification**. Mismanagement of dry-land ecosystems causes desertification. Increases in population, poor land use, and overgrazing are ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 39 mins (2011-12-05 12:14:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Just came across this site that gives translations of these terms. They have used 'naturally-occurring desertification" which I think is also a valid option but maybe the term is already understood with 'natural' on its own.
http://quizlet.com/5903285/espanolextra-la-desertificacion-d...
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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-12-05 14:59:35 GMT)
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Maybe something along the lines of:
"There are two forms of desertification: one occurs naturally and the other is man-made/caused by man. "
or
"There are two forms of desertification: natural and man-made"
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
19 mins
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian, Irish, UK)
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
(man-made) land degradation and natural desertification
another option. Not really two separate words in English but imo when speaking of land degradation, it is usually assumed to be man-made
www.unccd.int/
Block all www.unccd.int results
Provides access to the official documents maintained or received by the UNCCD Secretariat and is a general source of information on the topic of desertification ...
www.unccd.int/
Block all www.unccd.int results
Provides access to the official documents maintained or received by the UNCCD Secretariat and is a general source of information on the topic of desertification ...
3 hrs
philgoddard
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Six languages into flawless English
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English, Spanish to English, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
rewrite it
There is no distinction between desertization and desertification in English, though the latter is much more common. You should therefore rewrite it.
I like your suggestion, though you could make it much more concise by saying ‘Desertification may be the result of natural or human causes’.
I like your suggestion, though you could make it much more concise by saying ‘Desertification may be the result of natural or human causes’.
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