Hyperscale data centres are adding new pressure to already stressed freshwater systems, testing whether governments can allocate, monitor and protect water fairly.

Water resources around the globe are under enormous stress. Freshwater sources are declining in quantity and quality due to over-exploitation of rivers and aquifers, eutrophication caused by excessive nutrients from fertilisers and detergents, salinity intrusion, and release of untreated organic waste. These challenges are now complicated by the rise of hyperscale data centres to provide the computing power that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology companies require.

Hyperscale data centres hold many thousands of servers and may use as much water daily as a small town. They are fast becoming a test of governments’ ability to allocate water fairly and responsibly – and for a supporting international architecture that could assist countries in getting a fair deal.

The latest UN monitoring report on the global goal on water and sanitation (Sustainable Development Goal 6) shows that countries have made great progress in providing water and sanitation services. In Central Asia and South Asia, for example, rural coverage for........

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