Abstract: With the background of the global climate change,the study of the global hydrological cycle is paid more attention to by governments and scientists.The research programs of the global hydrological cycle are introduced in this paper.And the achievements of these programs are discussed.There are three main achievements: the basic data,the hydrological cycle simulation models,and the land-atmosphere coupling theory and method.In the end,the future progress of the global hydrological cycle is prospected.