Inundation Risks and Institutional Improvement Measures for Data Center Siting in Korea

We frequently experience serious worldwide damages associated with the disruptions in digital service systems—so-called digital blackouts—owing to the rising inundation risks posed mainly by climate change. This study analyzed the inundation risks of the data centers located in Korea and proposed countermeasures to address them. We used the locations of data centers in Korea and the Flood Risk Maps by the Ministry of Environment (Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment). For a 500-year return period flood, it was found that 52% of the data centers could be affected by the inundation risks, and 30% of the centers were located in the areas vulnerable to inland inundation. Moreover, the preparedness of the legislative system was limited with insufficient measures. Therefore, the relevant regulations and measures need to be revised, with a review of the TIA-942 guidelines and the characteristics of data center locations, including vulnerability to inland inundations.