The Cloud vs. Drought: Water Hog Data Centers Threaten Latin America

Introduction

• Droughts in Uruguay and Chile raise concerns about water-intensive data centers.
• Mega-data centers, needed for cooling servers, are being built in economically and water-challenged nations.
• Latin American communities criticize governments for favoring tech giants over human water needs.

Key Issues

• Data Centers and Water Use:
  • Data centers require significant water to cool servers.
  • By 2035, demand for data centers could increase 10-20 times, intensifying water usage issues.
  • Transparency in water use by data centers is lacking.
• Impact of Droughts:
  • Uruguay and Chile experiencing severe droughts affecting water supply.
  • Governments took measures like relaxing drinking water standards.

Environmental and Social Concerns

• Data Colonialism:
  • Exploitation of cheap water in Latin America by tech companies likened to colonialism.
• Community Resistance:
  • Local protests in Chile and Uruguay against data centers highlight water use concerns.
  • Activists argue that data centers offer minimal local benefits and consume critical resources.

Data Centers and Energy

• Energy Use:
  • Data centers consume large amounts of energy; water used for energy efficiency.
  • Shift from air conditioning to water cooling to save energy increases water use.

Future Projections

• Water Demand:
  • By 2030, data centers are expected to use 1.7 billion liters daily.
  • Artificial intelligence will further increase water and energy needs.

Legislative and Community Actions

• Regulatory Measures:
  • Call for regulations to manage water use by data centers.
  • European Climate Neutral Datacentre Pact as a model for global standards.
• Community Involvement:
  • Activists emphasize importance of local action and questioning data center impacts.

Conclusion

• The balance between digital expansion and resource conservation is crucial.
• Urgent need for regulations to protect water resources in Latin America.
• Community activism is vital to safeguard environmental rights.