The summer of 2026 has once again highlighted Europe’s growing vulnerability to water scarcity and its significant economic consequences.
As investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and related services accelerates, EurEau is calling on EU policymakers to ensure that water availability is a key consideration in the development of data centres and AI infrastructure.
EurEau urges the EU co-legislators to make local water availability a binding criterion before designating data centre acceleration zones or approving permits. Water resource planning must be integrated from the outset to ensure that the expansion of AI infrastructure does not put additional pressure on already strained water resources.
Public drinking water supplies must be protected. Europe’s digital ambitions must go hand in hand with responsible water resource management and long-term water resilience.
Our paper is here.