Desertification might sound similar to desert, but there is a fundamental difference between the two: while deserts are one of nature’s wonderful formations, desertification is a process of degradation that lands go through after they are affected by climate change, human activities, and natural forces until they eventually become deserts. 
Pengine maneno ueneaji jangwa yanaweza kusikika sawa na jangwa, lakini kuna tofauti kubwa ya msingi kati ya maneno hayo: wakati ambapo majangwa ni moja kati ya maumbo mazuri ya kipekee ya asili, ueneaji jangwa ni mchakato wa kuharibika ambako kanda za ardhi hupitia baada ya kuathiriwa vibaya na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, shughuli za binadamu na majanga ya asili mpaka hatimaye zinageuka na kuwa majangwa.