A recent study revealed that Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, among the world’s largest technology companies, are establishing data centers in the most water-scarce regions across five continents. The move has sparked criticism due to the high water demand of these centers. According to a joint investigation by The Guardian and SourceMaterial, the three companies’ data centers are currently operating in some of the world’s driest areas, with more centers under development.

“3 COMPANIES PLANNING TO OPEN HUNDREDS OF DATA CENTERS”
While US President Donald Trump pledged support to the three tech giants, it was learned that these companies are planning to establish hundreds of data centers both in the US and various regions globally. This is expected to have a significant adverse impact on the residents of regions already facing water scarcity. Lorena Jaume-Palasí, Founder of the Ethical Technology Association, expressed, “The water issue will become critical. Resource resilience will be very challenging for these communities.”

Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, faced internal objections over its efforts to reduce water usage, with criticisms of these plans being “unethical.” Google and Amazon spokespersons defended the developments in response to queries posed during SourceMaterial and The Guardian’s investigation, while Microsoft declined to comment.

“38 CENTERS LOCATED IN WATER-SCARCE REGIONS”
Data centers used by information technology companies for remote storage, data processing, and training artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT, utilize water for cooling purposes. SourceMaterial’s analysis revealed that of the 38 active data centers operated by the three tech giants, 24 were under construction in water-scarce areas. The locations of data centers are often treated as “industry secrets.” By utilizing local news outlets and industry resources like Baxtel and Data Center Map, SourceMaterial compiled a map of 632 data centers, indicating that these centers are owned by the three tech companies, whether operational or under construction.

“YOUR CLOUD IS DRYING MY RIVER”
The research showed that the plans of the three companies entail a 78% increase in the number of data centers. These plans are concerning North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. While high water usage in regions with abundant water is less problematic, Microsoft noted that 42% of the water it will use by 2023 will come from “water-stressed regions.” Google reported that 15% of its water usage is sourced from regions facing “high water scarcity.” However, Amazon did not disclose such data.

Aurora Gómez from the campaign “Your Cloud is Drying My River” (Tu Nube Seca Mi Río) in Spain, advocating against the establishment of new data centers due to water scarcity, remarked, “They are using too much water. They are using too much energy.”