Qilian Mountain is the “mother mountain” of the Hexi corridor，without it，there would be no Hexi corridor. After years of development and construction，the economic and social development of Hexi Corridor has made great achievements. These are at the forefront of the province and include：the building of an important metallurgical industrial base；highlighting the comparative advantages of agricultural products production and processing bases；introducing a new way to vigorously develop a circular economy；developing new energy and energy equipment manufacturing industries；and achieving remarkable results in the comprehensive Shiyang River Basin management. The corridor has become an important growth hub for regional economic development in the province. However，the sustainable development of Hexi Corridor is also facing severe challenges. Global warming has led to glacier retreat，and a rising snow line and frozen soil retreat in the Qilian Mountains，which has produced a huge water resources crisis in the Hexi Corridor. Moreover，woodland and grassland degradation has reduced soil and water conservation functions. With a rapid population increase，and large-scale expansion of oases and related excessive exploitation and utilization of water resources，the contradiction between water supply and demand in Hexi Corridor is becoming increasingly prominent. The extensive management and inefficient allocation of water resources make the output rate of water resources far lower than the average level of the whole province. Furthermore，the fragile natural ecological environment makes it more difficult to restore the Hexi corridor ecosystem. The contradiction between regional development and ecological carrying capacity is prominent due to long-term overdevelopment and construction. Damage to the Qilian Mountain National Park ecological environment exposes short-term problems and threatens the sustainable development of the Hexi Corridor.