Abstract: As the backbone projects for the management, development and protection of the Changjiang River Basin, the cascade reservoirs in the upper reaches of Changjiang River play an important role in ensuring flood control, water supply and ecological security. In order to effectively solve the key technical bottlenecks of multi-objective joint operation in the field of flood control, water supply, ecology, power generation, navigation and emergency in the upper reaches of Changjiang River, The National Key Research and Development Project ‘Multi-objective Joint Operation Technology of Cascade Reservoirs in the upper Reaches of the Changjiang River’ was carried out. Firstly, this paper focused on the key and difficult problems of multi-objective joint operation of cascade reservoirs in the upper reaches of Changjiang River. Then, the key operation technologies of hydrology, flood control, water supply, ecology, power generation, navigation, emergency response, risk and multi-objective operation integration were discussed. Moreover, the main innovative research achievements and their application were systematically reviewed. Finally, the development directions of multi-objective joint operation technology of cascade reservoirs and multi-objective joint operation of water projects in the Changjiang River Basin were prospected. The research results can provide theoretical and technical support for better guiding the operation and management of joint operation of water projects in the Changjiang River Basin.