WORLD
Data centres to use water enough for 1.3 billion people annually by 2030: UN report
- IBJ Bureau
- Jun 08, 2026
Rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the last few years has led to companies setting up massive data centres around the world.
Concerns over their massive water and electricity consumption have led to widespread protests.
A new report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) has highlighted the severity of the issue, warning that AI-related water consumption may equal the needs of 1.3 billion (130 crore) people by 2030.
AI data centres rely on cooling systems that consume millions of litres of water, especially in warmer regions.
This has raised questions about sustainability, particularly in areas already facing water stress.
“The associated water footprint of the projected 2030 electricity consumption of data centres is 9.3 trillion (9.3 lakh crore) litres, or enough to meet the minimum annual domestic water needs of all 1.3 billion (130 crore) residents of Sub-Saharan Africa for a full year,” the report highlights.
The new findings suggest that global data centres powering AI are projected to consume 945 terawatt-hours (twh) of electricity by 2030, which is nearly triple the combined annual use of electricity of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria, according to a report in the Time.
The report adds that global data centres consumed approximately 448 twh of electricity in 2025 alone.
If data centres were collectively considered as a country, its electricity consumption would have ranked 11th globally, the report points out.
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