Resumen
This paper provides an outline of history of hydro-technologies in the west and the east. It is an overview of the special issue on ?the evolution of hydro-technologies globally?, in which the key topics regarding the history of water and sanitation worldwide, and its importance to future cities are presented and discussed. It covers a wide range of relevant historical issues, and is presented in three categories: productivity assessment, institutional framework and mechanisms, and governance aspects. This paper concludes by discussing the challenges on future research in this field of study.