The tropical monsoon rhythm for over centuries obviously occasioned the development of water works which facilitated wet rice cultivation in pre-modern Southeast Asia.
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/salutary-influence-irrigation-human-settlement-economy-and-political-power-pre
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/y-yagama-reddy
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/asian-agri-history
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/rice
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/water-management
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/water-conservation
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/dams-irrigation
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/irrigation
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/monsoons
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/traditional-knowledge
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/history
[12] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/asia
[13] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/cambodia
[14] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/myanmar
[15] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/thailand
[16] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/vietnam