Abstract: Drought warning is the major step and non-structural measure for disaster relief. However, it has not been worked with strong pertinence or practicality, due to the insufficiency of methodology studies. As a result, the role of drought warning has been fully exploited. In order to improve drought relief in China and taking the local situation into full consideration, the current situation and problem are reviewed based on explanation of concept of drought and reason of its formation. With completion of first hydrologic index system for drought warning in China and introduction of a new definition-waning level (flow) of hydrologic drought as well as methodologies for warning level determination, it creates a new methodology with hydrologic approach that fulfills the gap in drought warning related to river, lake or reservoir.