Previously seen as the Cinderella among the United Nations’ many preoccupations, 2010 finally saw access to clean water and sanitation recognised by the UN as a human right. Not a moment too soon - OECD modelling suggests that if we continue current trends, by 2050, 2.3 billion additional people will be living in river basins that are under extreme water stress. Despite some good progress driven by the Millennium Development Goals, water statistics continue to alarm: every year, for instance, dirty water causes the death of more than 2.2 million children under the age of 14. Water, which every culture on Earth recognises as the source of life itself, is no exception. For this reason, it is increasingly moving to centre stage whenever and wherever people meet to discuss humanity’s response to the major conundrum of how to match growing needs to insufficient or dwindling resources.