It’s an interesting time to appraise the “blue segment” of green business. Water has taken a back seat in sustainable business and cleantech. Over the past decade, the rallying cry of “water is the new oil” (or even the new carbon) has not materialised. Yet with mounting water scarcity and water quality pressures, the convergence of water and energy issues and the drive for greater resource efficiency, the market is clearly gaining momentum. Between 2005-2010 the Dow Jones Water Index surged 80% and between 2007-2010, it outperformed the S&P by over 20%. There are already a large number of countries, industries and companies whose economics are critically reliant on water. And that number is going to increase exponentially in the next five years. Here’s why: