Abstract: From October 2010 to June 2011, a severe drought disaster occurred in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River with high intensity, long duration, and extensive range, resulted in significant impact on agriculture, ecological environment and aquaculture. This paper analyzes the drought and its causes, and compares with severe droughts records in past years, the contrasting results reveal an evolution of droughts in these areas and provide technical support for drought management.