Abstract:With the economic development and urban renewal, the high-grade inland waterways in Shanghai are facing the need to transform towards sustainable development aspects such as green and low-carbon, digitization, efficient operation and eco-environmental protection. Taking the Youdun Port Waterway Regulation Project as an example, and focusing on social, economic and environmental sustainability, the present situation, practice and prospect of the sustainable development of inland waterway are discussed, and the specific manifestations of the sustainable development concept in waterway engineering are expounded from three aspects such as the practice of ecological sustainable concept at the construction level, the empowerment of digital technology at the management level and the construction of water transport culture at the planning level. And the application prospect of sustainable concept in inland waterway regulation is expected from the aspects of technical development, fund raising and policy management, which provides the useful exploration and reference for the sustainable construction of high-grade inland waterways in Shanghai.