Here's the thing. Problems that can be solved via software are problems for which we can sit in our bedroom/office/deck on the beach and work out a solution.

Here's the thing. Problems that can be solved via software are problems for which we can sit in our bedroom/office/deck on the beach and work out a solution. In fact, with the advent of virtualized servers, we can plan, create, implement and scale these solutions without leaving our chair. Physical problems, such as the water problem, are not so easily solved - you have to deal with people and physical goods and regulations and politics. This means it costs a lot, both in money and in effort - and, as a result, it also means there is an order of magnitude more risk associated with it. Of course, the guy who goes out and solves these problems receives [or should receive] outsized rewards for going where few men dare to go (either monetarily, or in terms of social significance), so there's still a group of people focused on such problems. Maybe not as many as are focused on this tech-Internet stuff, but again - there's simply not the same sort of automated, virtualized systems available to make toying around with such tasks easier. Also, we haven't even begun to discuss the high level of social skill needed in order to successfully execute an on-the-ground, real-world, third-world venture; I'm personally not sure I would put awkward geeks in charge of such a thing. (And yes, I'm making a gross generalization, but it's 4:00am, so cut me some slack!)