World water news: Rising temperatures, innovative solutions

This edition of World Water News explores the implications of a warming climate and innovation in trending industries. From the tourism industry’s water challenges to green hydrogen fuel production in Texas, we delve into how water management strategies and sustainable practices are shaping communities and industries worldwide.

AI’s growing environmental footprint

AI offers tremendous potential, but it also creates tremendous impacts for our environment. Given AI requires high-powered data centres, the rise of AI has significant water demands.

By 2026, AI’s computing power is expected to increase tenfold, leading to substantial increases in energy and, notably, water consumption, as Christina Shim reports in Harvard Business Review (HBR). Such intensive water usage arises from the need for cooling high-powered data centres. 

As noted in the article, a recent Goldman Sachs report anticipates a 160% increase in power demand driven by AI by 2030. This highlights a critical environmental challenge as the operation of large AI models can generate more emissions than an average car over its lifetime.

Despite these concerns, AI holds promise for sustainability, offering tools to enhance problem-solving and support energy transitions. Embracing sustainable AI practices becomes essential, including optimising model efficiency to reduce energy and water demands, and leveraging open-source initiatives to minimise resource wastage.

Learn more and explore solutions here.

Tracking towards the world’s hottest year

As reported in the Financial Times, this year is poised to be the warmest on record as global surface air temperatures have exceeded the 1.5°C threshold for the past 12 months, with ocean temperatures also hitting record highs for 15 consecutive months. 

June marked the 13th consecutive month of record-breaking heat, despite the onset of the La Niña cooling phenomenon, indicating a persistent warming trend that challenges global efforts to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit. 

This warming continues to impact diverse regions worldwide, with above-average temperatures in places like Siberia and the Middle East to heavy rains and flooding in parts of Europe. 

According to the United Nations, such extreme weather events can increase water scarcity, unpredictability, pollution — or all three. Rising temperatures lead to increased evaporation rates, exacerbating drought conditions in already water-stressed regions. Conversely, warmer air holds more moisture, which can result in heavier and more unpredictable rainfall, leading to floods and straining water management systems. 

These extremes in water availability challenge traditional water supply methods and demand innovative solutions in water conservation and management.

Read more from the Financial Times, UN and NASA.

Vacation hotspots turning tourists away 

Tourism is central to many economies worldwide, raising concerns as water becomes limited or unreliable in sought-after travel destinations. As reported in The Conversation, every Caribbean island has faced some sort of water scarcity in the past five years. Author Farah Nibbs notes that tourism is one of the biggest contributors to water demand outstripping supply. 

Italy has also long been one of the world’s most popular summer vacation destinations, but communities and hospitality companies have had to turn tourists away this year due to water shortages. 

One such example reported by CNN is the historic city of Agrigento in Sicily, which is grappling with severe water shortages that threaten both its tourism and agriculture sectors. Modern aqueducts and ancient systems alike are drying up, forcing small accommodations to turn away tourists due to insufficient water supply for basic needs like toilets and showers. 

Sicily began enforcing water restrictions in February when the region declared a state of emergency amid a relentless drought. As the CNN reports, over a million people across 93 communities are experiencing water restrictions, with some having to reduce water consumption by up to 45%. Taps run dry and supply is shut off overnight, which means residents must be organised during the day to ensure they’re prepared. 

Tourism is a sector the island heavily relies upon. Last year, Agrigento was named the Italian Capital of Culture for 2025, an award that typically sees a boost in tourism. “Instead, word of mouth about the water crisis can ruin the season,” says Francesco Picarella, head of Agrigento’s Hotel Federation.

Proactive water management policies, repairs to ageing infrastructure and funding for innovative water projects are all part of a much-needed solution, and a good model for other tourism-dependent cities globally.

Learn more about the situation in Italy here and the Caribbean here. 

Could water be the future of fuel?

Here, we take a look at travel from another angle. In Corpus Christi, Texas, a pioneering industrial plant, Infinium, is transforming how fuel is produced by converting water into hydrogen using renewable electricity, a process known as green hydrogen production. As explained in The Washington Post, this method, which extracts hydrogen atoms from water and chemically converts them into diesel, could revolutionise fuel production for heavy transport like planes, ships and trucks without the carbon emissions associated with traditional fossil fuels. 

To realise this potential, massive investments in renewable energy sources like wind and solar are necessary to power this energy-intensive process. The sustainability of green hydrogen depends critically on ensuring that the electricity used is genuinely renewable. This also highlights the need for strict regulatory frameworks and dedicated renewable resources to mitigate the environmental impact.

Yet as it develops, this innovation reflects a shift towards sustainable fuel alternatives — an innovative use of water to power a greener future.

Read the full story here.

Stay tuned for future editions of World Water News, where we’ll continue to highlight crucial developments and innovative solutions in water security and sustainability.