Regions of Spain could face ecological collapse by the end of the decade if water scarcity issues aren't urgently addressed. But a mega data centre being planned by Meta in the small town of Talavera de la Reina is set to exacerbate the crisis being caused by climate change, agricultural demands and aging, leaking pipes. The giant data centres being built by big tech companies are causing similar issues all over Europe, where regulators are failing to keep up and defence spending is taking priority over infrastructure. 

• GUEST: John Boyce is an Irish freelance journalist. He’s written about water security for World Politics Review.
• PRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer