Research in desertification is well established, but methodologies for assessing desertified land are in their early stages. A major hurdle has been the lack of a comprehensive and unifying scientific framework that facilitates the integration of the characteristics of desertified land and their contribution to the condition of the desert landscape. Here, desertified land is assessed using a desertification index National desertification survey information is used to standardize identification of every desertified patch. Then, an assessment of every priority county affected by desertification in western China was undertaken. Results indicate that the distribution pattern of desertification indices matches the spatial trend of sandstorm frequency. It is proposed that the desertification index may express the grade of regional land desertification.