Abstract: China has been frequently hit by extreme floods and droughts due to its unique geographical features and climatic conditions. The inherently low precipitation in North China makes the conflict between water supply and demand increasingly prominent in the region. Under a changing environment, the observed runoff in northern major rivers has been declining over the last few decades. On the other hand, the rapid socio-economic development in the region has resulted in a substantial increase of water consumption. These two factors have further aggravated the water supply-demand conflict. The attribution analysis of runoff variability reveals that intensive human activities have a major influence on the reduction of runoff in northern major rivers, which include the land-use change, the industrial and agricultural developments, and other socio-economic activities. Implementing the most stringent water resources management policy and enhancing the construction of water saving society would be the fundamental way out of the water shortage problem in North China.