[Objective] The main purpose is to reveal the laws and driving mechanism of oasification and desertification in Hotan River Basin during the period of 1972-2010. [Method] The visual interpretation method was used to process TM/ETM＋ image based on field work and investigation of Hotan Oasis. These interpretation dates have been reclassified to desert and oasis. Then, the driving mechanism of desertification and oasification was analyzed. [Result] The analysis indicated that the oasification velocity（91.24 km^2/year） was faster than the desertification’s（77.78 km^2/year）,with a rapid growth of 5.59 km^2/year in oasis area in the mid-lower reaches of the Hotan River. [Coclusion] There existed spatial coupling linked by water consumption between oasification in the middle reaches and desertification in the lower reaches.And the changing trends were opposite not only for the oasis area, but also for the oasification area and oasification velocity between the middle and the lower reaches of the Hotan River Basin. With climatic warming, population growth, economical development, scientific and technological progress, and in particular the implementation of national policies, the cropland area increased and oasis expanded, speeding up the oasification and water consumption in the middle reaches. Hence it is urgent to prevent the Hotan Oasis from exacerbating the current water supply-demand imbalance and prohibit the expansion of arable land to transitional belt between oasis and desert.
