A series of recent studies shows how fragile the water balance is for many impoverished and unstable parts of the world. The United Nations agency UNESCO recently issued The UN World Water Development Report 2009 ; the World Bank issued powerful studies on India ( India’s Water Economy: Bracing for a Turbulent Future ) and Pakistan ( Pakistan’s Water Economy: Running Dry ); and the Asia Society issued an overview of Asia’s water crises ( Asia’s Next Challenge: Securing the Region’s Water Future ).