This is a record of the proceedings of the regional Pugwash workshop on learning from ancient hydraulic civilizations. It contains the history of Pugwash. This workshop looked into the history of mankind and the ways in which renewable and non-renewable resources have had to be exploited for the progression of society. The threats to the systems in place are discussed and analysed in great detail. Models for transforming wastelands through watershed development and case studies to analyse development are presented. The study aims to ensure a world of sustainability and equity. It looks at sustainable development from a holistic approach – economically, gender, technology, socio-political and population. It defines the role of Pugwash and the actions that need to be taken to meet this aim. It contains many papers that discuss case studies, Sri Lanka’s history, climate change, global warming, water management and how we can learn from the past. This gives the reader a variety of viewpoints and a holistic understanding of the problem of climate change, the nature of ancient hydraulic civilizations and what we can extract and learn from these civilizations.