Abstract: The research on sustainable utilization capacity of water resources is of great significance to the sustainable management and development of the water-scarce areas of northwest China.According to the characteristics of Huangshui River Basin, an evaluation index system of sustainable utilization capacity of water resources was constructed from three aspects: climate factor, water resources system and social economy, and ELECTRE Ⅲ model was adopted to evaluate the sustainable utilization capacity of water resources in Huangshui River Basin.The results show that the water resources in Huangshui River Basin are of medium sustainable utilization capacity.Climatic factors and social and economic characteristics are the main factors affecting the sustainable utilization of water resources in the the Basin.In order to improve the sustainable utilization ability of water resources in the basin, this paper puts forward suggestions on strengthening the comprehensive management of water resources in the basin, promoting the water transfer from other basins, strengthening water saving and utilization of unconventional water resources in the basin and strengthening comprehensive improvement of river water environment.The research results can provide a reference for the evaluation of sustainable utilization capacity of water resources and the optimization of water resources management in the water-scarce area.