Abstract: Water is the vital factor constraining the sustainable development in arid area.To alleviate water shortage due to increasing socio‐economic water demand in arid area,Yizhou District in Hami is taken as a case study to evaluate the balance between water demand and supply in the future.Water demand in 2021,2030,and 2040 are selected as baseline,short-term planning,and long-term planning years,respectively,based on which rational water resources allocation is conducted.Results indicate that water demand in Yizhou District will increase remarkably due to rapid socioeconomic expansion,from 375.02 million m~3 in 2021,to 397.17 and 487.56 million m~3 in 2030 and2040,respectively.Water resources allocation can effectively alleviate the water shortage led by the uneven temporal-spatial distribution of water availability.Water supply for socioeconomic users is thus ensured （the total water shortage rate in 2021 and 2030 are 2.78%and4.2%,respectively）,which is of significance for the local sustainability.However,as the over-increased water demand will exceed the regu‐lating capacity of local water system in 2040,the total water shortage rate will considerably increase to 15.56%,among which the shortage rates of ecological,industrial,and agricultural users will be 8.37%,9.98%,and 22.15%,respectively.The stability of the local ecosys‐tem,and economy will be altered,which will further challenge the sustainable development goals of Yizhou District.This paper cannot only help the rational water resources allocation and water use structure improving in Yizhou District,but also contribute to the water resources management in arid areas.