Desertification in the Qaidam Basin, China has been a problem affecting people's lives and the economy. By using a geographic detector model and GIS techniques, researchers found that high evaporation and low precipitation are the main factors causing desertification in the central and western parts of the basin. The impact of weather conditions is the strongest, followed by environmental factors, with human activities playing a smaller role. Areas with more water resources have lower levels of desertification. The study shows that understanding the interactions between different factors can help in evaluating and addressing desertification in arid regions like the Qaidam Basin.