tech
‘What you see here is a wetland without water’: how the datacentre boom is exacerbating Chile’s mega-drought
The country is positioning itself as Latin America’s next technology hub, but communities are pushing back
TL;DR
- Datacenters in Chile, particularly in Quilicura, are consuming billions of liters of water annually, contributing to the drying up of wetlands.
- Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Ascenty operate datacenters in Chile, attracted by political stability and internet connectivity, but face backlash over environmental impacts.
- Datacenters require significant water for cooling, especially for AI-related operations, and their expansion in water-scarce regions like Santiago is unsustainable.
- Residents and activists are concerned about minimal job creation, high energy demands, and the failure of environmental mitigation projects by tech companies.
- Experts and activists are calling for sustainable solutions, including relocating datacenters to southern Chile and implementing stronger environmental regulations, especially under a government less focused on environmental protection.