Study: About a quarter of the world's data centers are located in water-stressed regions

PANews, October 21 news: According to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology and announced by the American Chemical Society (ACS), researchers analyzed the locations of 9,347 operating data centers worldwide and local water supply and demand conditions, and found that about 25% of data centers are located in areas facing water stress for at least one month each year, and about 6% are located in areas facing water stress for most of the year.

Under a scenario in which the global average temperature rises by 3°C compared with 1900, the share of data centers located in water-stressed areas could rise to 33%. The study points out that data center cooling water use shares water sources with surrounding cities, agriculture, and other users, and long-term site selection and operational planning need to take local water resources and infrastructure conditions into account.