Abstract: A comparative research on features of the two catastrophic floods along the Changjiang River valley in 1954 and in 1998 was introduced.Among the analyses,the situation of water stage exceeding historical records during the floods is specially focused.The basic reasons for resulting in the record--breaking water stage of the floods are that the forestry resources along the Changjiang River valley have heen destroyed and the ecological environment of the upper reaches of the Changjiang River valley has steadily deteriorated.And some suggestions are put forward that the only construction of flood-control projects could not prove effective for flood-control;it is strengthened that an integration of the key projects for flood-control and the projects for water and soil conservation of the upper reaches along the Changjiang River valley could fulfil the task of flood-control and maintain sustainable development.