The researchers analyzed how climate change and human activity affect the water flow in the Heihe River basin. They looked at data from 1960 to 2008 and found that in the upper part of the basin, the amount of water and evaporation increased due to climate change. In the middle part, water flow decreased, but the reasons were less clear. They determined that in the upper part, climate change was the main factor affecting water flow, while human activity had a smaller impact. In the middle part, human activity played a bigger role in reducing water flow. This information can help plan how to manage water resources in the future in the Heihe River basin.