Northwest China is one of the world’s typical arid regions, where limited water resources severely constrain social development. However, the current utilization of atmospheric cloud water resources in this region remains significantly underdeveloped. Investigating the spatiotemporal variations of cloud water resources and cloud-precipitation processes is of great practical importance for enhancing technological capacity to exploit atmospheric water resources. To address this challenge, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), through its Regional Innovation and Development Joint Fund, has supported the project “Multi-scale Variations of Atmospheric Cloud Water Resources and Cloud-Precipitation Processes in Northwest China”. This study highlights the strategic importance of developing cloud water resources in the region and examines the complexity of water formation and precipitation conversion mechanisms. Key influencing factors include the interaction of multiple atmospheric circulation systems; the macro- and microphysical complexities of cloud processes; the unique activation effects of dust aerosols; the topographic influences of plateaus and major mountain ranges; and the impact of regional climate warming and humidification. The critical role of field observations in supporting these investigations is also emphasized. Based on these insights, the study identifies six key research priorities for the future, including understanding variability patterns, aerosol-cloud interactions, cloud-precipitation conversion mechanisms, and advancing cloud microphysical parameterizations. These efforts aim to establish a robust theoretical and technical foundation for the effective utilization of atmospheric water resources in Northwest China.