TSMC—Consumed 150,000 tonnes of water daily in drought-stricken Taiwan, displacing rice farmers
TSMC consumes approximately 150,000 tonnes of water per day and 6.4% of Taiwan's national electricity. During Taiwan's worst drought since 1964 (2021-2023), rice farmers were barred from planting crops for three consecutive years while TSMC received priority water access. Water consumption surged 70% from 2015-2019. By April 2023, reservoirs were at 11-30% capacity. The company accounts for 101 million metric tons annual water consumption in a country facing projected 680,000 cubic meter daily supply deficit by 2036.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate Action | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Environmental Sustainability | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.322 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (1 signal)
The Diplomat reported TSMC's 150K tonne daily water use during Taiwan drought
The Diplomat reported TSMC accounts for 150,000 tonnes of water per day and 6.4% of Taiwan's electricity during the country's worst drought since 1964, with rice farmers barred from planting for three consecutive years while TSMC maintained priority water access.