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Karez is originated from two thousands years ago in Turpan Basin and has played a decisive role in locally socio-economic development Surface water and electric pumped well, change of karez and its causes in Turpan Basin are analyzed in this paper Results indicated that (1) change of karezes could be divided into two stages in this basin over the last 55 years, the dramatic increase stage (1949-1966) when the karez's number, output, flow and irrigating farmland area all dramatically increased due to the rapid increase of population and farmland area, and the abandonment stage (1966-2003) when karez's flow and output gradually declined, and many karezes dried up and dis-used (2) karezes were abandoned due to irrational exploitation and utilization of surface water lead to declining of supply water of karez, unlimitedly bind increasing electric pumped wells and its irrational layout lead to decreasing of groundwater level, and some disadvantages of karez also should be responsible for its abandonment (3) The abandonment of karez systems causes migration of residents in some villages, decrease of irrigated areas and natural vegetation areas, and increase of drought and wind disasters