Drivers In Afghanistan Install Homemade Air Conditioning On Taxi Roofs To Face Extreme Heat

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 09/08/2025 at 10:57

Foto: Reprodução

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Kandahar Taxicabs Improvise Air Conditioners on Car Roofs to Withstand Temperatures Above 40 °C, Pleasing Passengers.

Taxis in Afghanistan are catching attention. Not for speed, but for how they face the intense heat. In Kandahar, where temperatures exceed 40 °C, drivers t hey are installing homemade air conditioning units on the roofs of their vehicles.

Using plastic drums, ventilation pipes, and adhesive tape, they create systems that, despite being simple, work.

The most important thing is that this solution brings coolness to the entire interior of the car. For local taxi drivers, the system surpasses conventional air conditioners.

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Operation and Maintenance

The installation is done manually, with the help of assistants. One climbs onto the roof to position the drum while another secures the air outlet to the window using pipes. It may look strange, but the efficiency makes up for it.

The operating cost is low, but it requires daily care: refilling the reservoir with water twice a day.

This is the only maintenance needed to keep the system functioning during the extreme heat.

Customization and Cost

Other drivers opted for a customized model. It costs 3,000 Afghanis — about 43 dollars — to have a tailor-made cooler made by a local technician.

The decision came after recurring issues with the car’s air conditioning, which was expensive to repair and not durable.

The investment is worth it. The unit keeps the car cool and avoids frequent expenses for maintaining traditional systems.

Approved by Passengers

Passengers also approve of the novelty. Many say traveling without a cooling system is unbearable.

One of them reports that he always carries a heat remedy after needing intravenous fluids due to an illness caused by high temperatures.

For these users, the drivers’ initiative helps address a real problem. They emphasize that the installation of coolers improves the travel experience and reduces health risks.

Technicians Confirm Evolution

According to local technicians, this practice is not recent. About two to three years ago, taxi drivers began seeking these alternative solutions.

Initially, small improvised coolers made from drums were used, but over time, the models became more sophisticated and efficient.

Today, there are more robust systems designed to cool better and last longer. This evolution came from experience and the growing demand during increasingly hot summers.

Climate Context

Afghanistan recorded the hottest spring in its history this year.

The situation is exacerbated by severe drought, affecting crops and rural livelihoods. The UN warns that the climate crisis will hit the country more intensely than most nations.

However, since the Taliban took power in 2021, the country has been out of UN climate negotiations.

This means it faces the problem without the space to participate in global discussions and without direct access to possible international solutions.

Innovation and Isolation

Therefore, this adaptation by drivers is more than just a clever trick. It also represents the struggle of a population facing extreme conditions with limited resources.

It is a symbol of creativity in the face of necessity, but also a reflection of the country’s political and economic isolation.

While the world discusses technology and green investments, in Kandahar, the battle against heat is won with plastic drums, pipes, and adhesive tape.

A clear example of how innovation can arise from urgency — even in the most challenging scenarios.

Drivers In Afghanistan Install Homemade Air Conditioning On Taxi Roofs To Face Extreme Heat

Kandahar Taxicabs Improvise Air Conditioners on Car Roofs to Withstand Temperatures Above 40 °C, Pleasing Passengers.

Operation and Maintenance

Customization and Cost

Approved by Passengers

Technicians Confirm Evolution

Climate Context

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Drivers In Afghanistan Install Homemade Air Conditioning On Taxi Roofs To Face Extreme Heat

Kandahar Taxicabs Improvise Air Conditioners on Car Roofs to Withstand Temperatures Above 40 °C, Pleasing Passengers.

Operation and Maintenance

Customization and Cost

Approved by Passengers

Technicians Confirm Evolution

Climate Context

Innovation and Isolation

Gaddafi built the world’s largest artificial river under the Sahara — it’s 4,000 km of giant pipes that pump 40,000-year-old fossil water to entire cities in Libya.

Discovery in Africa scares even scientists: a study published on April 23 reveals that the crust in Turkana has become so thin that it could pave the way for the continent’s division and the emergence of an ocean in the future, in a gigantic geological transformation.

Austria inaugurates Europe’s first high-speed railway outside China — trains travel at 250 km/h through 33 km tunnels in the Alps that took 27 years to drill

An unmanned Russian ship has been drifting in the Mediterranean for 57 days with 60,000 tons of gas — the second towing attempt has just failed.

A Brazilian rode a motorcycle up to 5,000 meters of altitude in Peru to find the exact place where the world’s largest river originates, and what he found up there surprised even himself.

An MIT startup is betting on superhot geothermal in Oregon and building the world’s first plant of its kind, targeting rocks above 300°C to generate 50 MW by 2030 and expand the project to 250 MW with few wells.

Smart bin in London tracked pedestrians’ cell phones, used WiFi to measure urban circulation, raised a privacy alert, and showed how a simple bin can become a street spy.

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