According to the national goals and the forefront in the field of hydrology, water resources and hydraulic engineering sciences, five directions are identified for our laboratory based on our research background and the investigation of developing trends in the related field:(1) Water resources allocation and efficient use;  (2) Flood and drought disasters defense and mitigation; (3) Evolution and protection of water ecology and water environment; (4)Integrated management and protection of estuarine and coastal regions; (5) Hydraulic construction safety and new materials. The five research directions deal with the scientific issues of modern hydro-sciences in the theoretical aspects on one hand, and serve the nation by resolving major water conservancy and hydraulic engineering problems in the aspect of application on the other hand. Accordingly, five research teams are established focusing on one individual direction. The linkage of the five teams and the laboratory is illustrated in the following figure.