{
  "id": 18853026,
  "title": "Indonesians furious as Batam data centres drain taps: ‘we cannot cook without water’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/indonesians-furious-as-batam-data-centres-drain-taps-we-cannot-cook",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-08T03:51:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373676/indonesians-furious-batam-data-centres-drain-taps-we-cannot-cook-without-water"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indonesians are furious as data centers in Batam drain taps, leaving residents unable to cook or bathe. A \"long drought\" caused by low rainfall and exacerbated by a strong El Nino cycle has led to water scarcity. Data centers, which run on cooling systems that use water, are often blamed for this issue, despite the water supply being mainly provided by a different reservoir. Residents in Batam have staged protests outside new data center clusters, known as special economic zones. They demand that companies implementing such facilities adopt more efficient water use methods, such as closed-loop systems. Despite local government and water utility officials denying a direct link between data center construction and the water shortage, they are taking steps to manage water demand, including dredging reservoirs and exploring cloud seeding. Similar concerns have arisen in Malaysia's Johor region, where data center construction has surged in recent years, putting pressure on water resources.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [
    "Indonesians furious over data centers draining taps",
    "Long drought and El Nino cause water scarcity",
    "Residents protest for efficient water use methods"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The growing tension between industrial expansion and basic utility access signals a regional struggle to balance high-tech economic zones with the essential resource needs of local communities.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}