AI Data Centres Could Consume Water Needed by 1.3 Billion People by 2030 — UN Report

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) could place unprecedented pressure on global water and energy resources, with AI-powered data centres projected to consume enough water by 2030 to meet the annual domestic needs of 1.3 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa, a new United Nations report has warned.

The report, released by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), highlights growing concerns over the environmental impact of the massive infrastructure supporting AI technologies.

UN Warns of Rising Water and Electricity Demand

According to the report, AI data centres depend heavily on cooling systems that require vast amounts of water, particularly in warmer regions.

Researchers estimated that the water footprint associated with projected data centre electricity consumption by 2030 could reach 9.3 trillion litres.

“The associated water footprint of the projected 2030 electricity consumption of data centres is 9.3 trillion litres, or enough to meet the minimum annual domestic water needs of all 1.3 billion residents of Sub-Saharan Africa for a full year,” the report stated.

The study also projects that global data centres will consume about 945 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually by 2030, nearly three times the combined yearly electricity consumption of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria.

According to the report, data centres consumed approximately 448 TWh of electricity in 2025 alone. If classified as a country, global data centres would have ranked as the world’s 11th-largest electricity consumer.

Researchers further noted that the electricity used by data centres in 2025 would have been sufficient to power the residential needs of Sub-Saharan Africa’s 1.3 billion people for more than two years.

Environmental Concerns Trigger Growing Opposition

The findings come amid increasing opposition to the construction of AI data centres due to concerns about their environmental footprint.

A recent Gallup survey in the United States found that 71 per cent of respondents opposed the construction of AI data centres in their communities, compared to 53 per cent who opposed having a nuclear power plant nearby.

The survey found that environmental concerns were a major factor behind public resistance, with many respondents worried about the centres’ impact on water resources, energy consumption and local ecosystems.

Researchers have also raised concerns about what they describe as a “data heat island effect”.

A separate study, which has not yet undergone peer review, found that AI data centres can increase surrounding land surface temperatures by an average of two degrees Celsius after becoming operational.

In some cases, temperature increases of up to nine degrees Celsius were recorded, with the effects extending nearly 10 kilometres from the facilities.

The study estimated that more than 340 million people worldwide could be affected by the localised warming linked to large-scale AI data centres.

The report adds to growing calls for technology companies and policymakers to balance the benefits of AI development with the need to manage its environmental and resource impacts sustainably.

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A Lagos-based journalist with a passion for disseminating factual information and a deep appreciation for good music, good food, movies, and beautiful cars. He hopes to travel the world someday, documenting its beauty and diverse cultures through his storytelling.