Environmental risks of data center infrastructure in Northeastern Brazil from an ecocide risk perspective

Abstract The expansion of data center infrastructure is reshaping global development patterns while intensifying demands for energy, water, and land. Together, these pressures may significantly affect ecosystems, local communities, and sustainable development. This article examines the potential environmental risks associated with the development of the Caucaia data center project in Ceará, considering the ecological vulnerability of Northeastern Brazil. This study employs a mixed-methods approach combining bibliometric analysis, qualitative literature review, and a documentary case study based on environmental licensing materials. It also adopts an interdisciplinary perspective grounded in ESG governance and the legal concept of ecocide as an analytical lens for examining severe environmental harm. Given the construction-stage and non-operational status of the Caucaia project, together with the limitations of the available licensing information, the case is treated as an exploratory illustration of potential environmental risks and regulatory gaps. The literature review identified eight core environmental risk categories associated with data center development and operation. Energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and water-related risks were the most frequently identified categories, appearing in 96, 84, and 64% of the reviewed studies, respectively. The case study contextualized these eight categories within an ecologically vulnerable region and identified an additional category related to displacement risk. The article proposes incorporating ecocide risk into sustainability assessment and introduces the Ecocide Risk Report as a preliminary conceptual framework for organizing environmental information and supporting preventive decision-making concerning large-scale digital infrastructure.