Data centers and water tensions in IndonesiaCEFR B1
21 Apr 2026
Adapted from Mong Palatino, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Lisa Shauma, Unsplash
The growth of artificial intelligence has driven a rapid rise in data center construction across Indonesia. As of April 2026 there are 170 data centers, and generative AI is expected to create USD 243.5 billion in economic production capacity, about 18 percent of Indonesia’s 2022 gross domestic product.
Concerns have grown about water use. A medium-sized data center can use about 300,000 gallons of water per day, roughly the annual water use of 1,000 households. Nearly half of the country’s data centers are in hot locations, which increases cooling needs and can reduce public access to water.
Batam shows the local tension. There are 18 data centers at the Batam Industrial Complex. Planned facilities in Kabil and Nongsa would require large amounts of power and millions of liters of water per day, and together existing and planned sites could use around eight percent of Batam’s water supply. Community protests in 2024 and environmental warnings in 2025 have increased pressure on companies and policymakers to manage water sustainably.
Difficult words
- data center — building that stores and processes computer datadata centers
- generative — able to make new content or outputs
- capacity — maximum amount something can hold or produce
- cooling — process of making something cooler or cold
- facility — building or equipment for a specific usefacilities
- supply — amount of something available for use
- manage — control or organize the use of something
- protest — public action showing strong disagreementprotests
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think the economic benefits of generative AI are worth the water use by data centers? Why or why not?
- What steps could companies take to reduce water use at data centers in hot locations?
- How might many data centers affect daily life for people living near a place like Batam?
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