Indonesians furious as Batam data centres drain taps: ‘we cannot cook without water’

AI Summary

Residents of Batam, Indonesia, are protesting data centre development amid water shortages that have made cooking and bathing difficult. Local officials attribute the shortage to a prolonged drought and low rainfall, intensified by El Niño, while residents also blame the facilities’ water demands as data centres expand to serve global AI use.

Cooking and bathing became difficult when taps ran dry in Batam, an Indonesian island where residents are protesting against data centres springing up to power the global artificial intelligence boom. The area had suffered a “long drought” caused by low rainfall, the local water utility operator said, as a strong El Nino cycle exacerbates dry weather. But, as in other countries, anger has been directed at the data centres, warehouse-like facilities that keep apps and AI tools running, with water...