This review discusses the design, synthesis, and applications of water-stable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture. MOFs are promising porous materials due to their high porosity and chemical tunability, but their stability, especially in water, is often poor. To improve water stability, strategies such as increasing the bonding strength of building units and introducing hydrophobic units have been developed. Many water-stable MOFs have been synthesized and applied in various CO₂ capture scenarios, including flue gas decarbonization, direct air capture, and natural gas purification. Water-stable MOFs are typically constructed using hard metal ions (e.g., Al³⁺, Zr⁴⁺, In³⁺, Ti⁴⁺, Hf⁴⁺, Fe³⁺, Cr³⁺) and hard ligands (e.g., carboxylic acid ligands or other ligands with free oxygen atoms), or soft metal ions (e.g., Zn²⁺, Cu⁺) and soft ligands (e.g., imidazolyl, triazolyl, tetrazolyl derivatives). Post-synthesis modification (PSM) can also enhance water stability. Additionally, pore engineering strategies such as framework interlocking, pore space partition, and hydrophobic engineering have been employed to improve water stability. Several representative water-stable MOFs have been reported, including MIL-101(Cr), UiO-66, PCN series, BUT series, and ZIF series. These MOFs exhibit excellent acid/base resistance and thermal stability. For example, BUT-8(Cr) can retain its structure in concentrated H₂SO₄, while ZIF-8 can maintain its structure in boiling water for 7 days. Other MOFs, such as ZIF-67, MFU-1, and ZJU-75, also show high chemical stability. The thermodynamic stability of MOFs is determined by the Gibbs free energy of hydrolysis, and the kinetic stability is related to the activation energy of hydrolysis. Enhancing the bonding strength of metal ions and ligands, as well as introducing hydrophobic groups, can improve both thermodynamic and kinetic stability. In summary, water-stable MOFs have been successfully synthesized using various strategies, and they show great potential for CO₂ capture in various environments. However, challenges remain in achieving long-term stability and scalability for practical applications.This review discusses the design, synthesis, and applications of water-stable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture. MOFs are promising porous materials due to their high porosity and chemical tunability, but their stability, especially in water, is often poor. To improve water stability, strategies such as increasing the bonding strength of building units and introducing hydrophobic units have been developed. Many water-stable MOFs have been synthesized and applied in various CO₂ capture scenarios, including flue gas decarbonization, direct air capture, and natural gas purification. Water-stable MOFs are typically constructed using hard metal ions (e.g., Al³⁺, Zr⁴⁺, In³⁺, Ti⁴⁺, Hf⁴⁺, Fe³⁺, Cr³⁺) and hard ligands (e.g., carboxylic acid ligands or other ligands with free oxygen atoms), or soft metal ions (e.g., Zn²⁺, Cu⁺) and soft ligands (e.g., imidazolyl, triazolyl, tetrazolyl derivatives). Post-synthesis modification (PSM) can also enhance water stability. Additionally, pore engineering strategies such as framework interlocking, pore space partition, and hydrophobic engineering have been employed to improve water stability. Several representative water-stable MOFs have been reported, including MIL-101(Cr), UiO-66, PCN series, BUT series, and ZIF series. These MOFs exhibit excellent acid/base resistance and thermal stability. For example, BUT-8(Cr) can retain its structure in concentrated H₂SO₄, while ZIF-8 can maintain its structure in boiling water for 7 days. Other MOFs, such as ZIF-67, MFU-1, and ZJU-75, also show high chemical stability. The thermodynamic stability of MOFs is determined by the Gibbs free energy of hydrolysis, and the kinetic stability is related to the activation energy of hydrolysis. Enhancing the bonding strength of metal ions and ligands, as well as introducing hydrophobic groups, can improve both thermodynamic and kinetic stability. In summary, water-stable MOFs have been successfully synthesized using various strategies, and they show great potential for CO₂ capture in various environments. However, challenges remain in achieving long-term stability and scalability for practical applications.