Jianghan Lakes lie in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The evolution of the lakes during Holocene can be divided into three periods. Since Ming Dynasty, owing to natural factors and human activity, the lakes have accelerated the shrinking process. This results in a series of rural and urban environmental problems, such as the disasters of flooding, inundation, and water-logging; declination of aquatic resources; increase of diseases; swamping of lake districts; and deterioration of urban environment (taking Wuhan City into consideration). In order to realize sustainable development in this area, several corresponding countermeasures should be taken.