Semiconductors are the basic building blocks of microchips. These technological marvels are in everything from lightbulbs and toothbrushes to cars, trains and planes, not to mention the vast array of electronics that have become integral to many people’s daily lives.

The 21st century chip manufacturing industry has been described as “at least as significant geopolitically as oil was in the 20th.” But semiconductor manufacturing requires vast quantities of water to keep machinery cool and wafer sheets free of debris, and the unfolding climate emergency puts the industry at risk.

Despite the industry’s dependence on water, little attention has been paid to how changing environmental conditions may impact it. Reporting by journalists and think tanks tend to overlook climate as a risk factor for the future of the industry.

Yet, globally and regionally there are signs of trouble. Taiwan, for example, produces about 90 per cent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors and has been experiencing a significant drought since 2021.

Read more: theconversation.com

Photo: theconversation.com