Industry
U.S. leads data centre build-out but water stress is severe in Chile and Belgium
Data centres are growing rapidly worldwide as AI spreads. The United States led expansion after 2023, adding more than 100 sites, but analysis showed water-supply burdens were more acute in Chile and Belgium. A Comparitech review of 143 countries showed U.S. registered data centres rose to 5,427 this year. Chile and Belgium scored 4.5 and 4.4 on a WRI water-stress index, indicating severe stress.
