Locuitorii unei insule au luat cu asalt centrele de date: „De trei luni nu mai curge nicio picătură de apă la robinetele noastre”

Residents of Batam, Indonesia, protested against data centers due to a three-month water shortage, exacerbated by drought and high demand for water. Local communities are struggling with inadequate water supply while tech companies require significant amounts for cooling servers. Authorities have mandated that data centers build their own desalination facilities to alleviate pressure on local water resources. The situation reflects a broader global concern regarding the environmental impact of large data centers, as communities face competition for essential resources. The ongoing drought, possibly linked to a historic El Niño, has intensified the crisis, with predictions of further water shortages.