Hydraulic-driven debris flow is an important type of debris flows. It can cause huge damage and death-tolls once it occurred. Therefore, the study of initiation mechanism and prediction of the debris flows is fore-research project for debris flow science. Although some progressive studies for this area are obtained, the prediction model can not be actually used for early warning due to complicated initiation mechanism of debris flows initiated by channel runoff. This paper reviews the present research status of initiation mechanism and prediction of hydraulic-driven debris flows and puts forward further study expectation. The proposed further study contents are involved with the following aspects: firstly, understand initiation causes, processes and related threshold criterion from points of environmental geology, geomorphology and hydrology; secondly, study initiation mechanism model of debris flows initiated by channel runoff by hydraulic analysis and present threshold criterion of hydrologic parameters for the debris flow initiation; thirdly, establish prediction methodology of hydraulic-driven debris flow initiation based on theories of threshold discharge method and distributive hydrologic model. This project possesses scientific values and practice significations for strengthening the innovation study of initiation mechanism and prediction model of hydraulic-driven debris flows and for promoting further development of this area.