Land desertification in arid areas, like the Tarim River Basin, is a big problem. This study looked at how human activities affect desertification. They found that human actions, like population growth and farming, play a big role in making the land dry up. But using better technology and rules can help stop this. The researchers used a method called factor analysis to figure out that human activities caused 75% of desertification from 1949 to 2000, and 69% from 1985 to 2000. This means that improving technology and management can help reduce the bad effects of human actions on the land.