A quarter of world's data centers sit in water-stressed regions

A global analysis in Environmental Science & Technology found that one-quarter of the world's data centers are located in areas where water demand exceeds supply for at least one month each year. Under a future climate scenario, the share of facilities in water-stressed areas could rise to one-third.

• 25% of data centers are in regions with water stress at least one month a year
• Under a future climate scenario the share could reach 33%
• The study mapped data center locations against available water resources