This session explores how monsoon variability, geohydrology, and geomorphic diversity have historically shaped water management practices and settlement patterns across Monsoon Asia. Drawing from Quaternary archives—sediment cores, palaeochannels, and archaeological records—it examines how communities adapted to hydroclimatic challenges through ponds, tanks, stepwells, and institutional norms. It foregrounds the archaeological signatures and heritage values of these water systems as cultural landscapes shaped by ecological adaptation. Emphasis will also be placed on the role of socio-ecological memory, oral traditions, and local governance in sustaining these systems. The session invites cross-regional insights into how long-term environmental knowledge can inform participatory restoration, resilience-building, and sustainability transitions today.