The evaluation of the sustainable utilization of water resources is an important factor to measure whether the water resources can support the local coordinated development of population, economy and environment. Our study used Henan Province as the research area, which has a relative shortage of water resources (average water resources per capita, ≤400 m³). The Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, Response (DPSIR) model was used to construct the evaluation index system, utilizing the entropy weight method and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to determine the index weight. The sustainable utilization of water resources in 18 cities of Henan Province from 2006 to 2015 was evaluated using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) model. The results show a steady upward trend, from worst to general, but there is a great difference between each city. The overall level was still on the low side, and the influence of each subsystem in the comprehensive index of the sustainable utilization of water resources varies. The evaluation results are basically in line with the actual situation of economic and social development in Henan Province, which has a guiding significance for improving the level of sustainable utilization of water resources in the region.

In view of the complexity and uncertainty of water resources, this paper chooses an evaluation index system of 13 indicators based on the fuzzy mathematics model in three aspects: water resources, water quality and socioeconomic status. The entropy method was used to determine the weight of the index, and the water resource value of Nanjing in 2011–2015 was dynamically evaluated. The results show that the price of water resources in Nanjing from 2011 to 2015 rose from 3.43 yuan/m³ to 5.94 yuan/m³, showing a clear upward trend, but the corresponding price of water expenditure accounted for a proportion of disposable income from 2.27% to 1.87% during the same time period. This counterfactual trend proves that the current water price in Nanjing is relatively low and is not conducive to the efficient use of water resources. Given the fact that water prices have larger room for growth, the city government could initiate the reform of water pricing system and re-enact the water fee collection standards to achieve optimal allocation of water resources and sustainable development.