UAE publishes AI water and energy report
Key Highlights
- The report covers integrated water, energy, and digital infrastructure planning to sustain AI growth.
- It recommends a global declaration on responsible water use in AI.
- It advocates for renewable energy solutions to lower water consumption in powering AI systems.
The UAE published Crosscurrents: Navigating the AI–Water–Energy Nexus to navigate water and energy demands associated with AI across its full value chain.
The report was prepared by the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations, supported by analysis from Eurasia Group and comes ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal in Abu Dhabi from Dec. 8–10, 2026.
Released on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Crosscurrents calls for water to be considered a core part of the infrastructure and planning decisions shaping the AI economy. It puts forward five recommendations for the international community, including a call for the UN Water Conference to advance a global, consensus-driven declaration on efficient and responsible water use in AI.
The report examines water use across the entire AI value chain, extending beyond data centers to include semiconductor manufacturing and the power generation required to run AI systems. This broader perspective is critical and calls for a more integrated approach to planning, bringing together water, energy, digital infrastructure, urban development, and long-term resilience from the outset.
Crosscurrents also highlights the potential of renewable energy and other lower-water energy systems to reduce the water intensity associated with powering AI, while identifying opportunities for innovation, circular resource systems, and improved water management to reduce demand and strengthen resilience.
At the same time, the report suggests that AI can become part of the solution. From improving the efficiency of water systems and identifying leaks to strengthening forecasting, infrastructure planning, and resource management, AI can help countries see water differently, manage it more intelligently, and invest ahead of a crisis rather than respond after it occurs.
Crosscurrents, therefore, calls for a shift in perspective: from viewing AI’s water footprint as a challenge confined to technology infrastructure, to recognizing the AI–water–energy relationship as a strategic issue requiring collaboration across sectors and borders.
The report is a follow-up to the UAE’s 2023 report Ripple Effect: Water Scarcity – The Hidden Threat to Global Security and Prosperity.