Afghan windcatchers on taxis, via the AFP
In the desert heat of Kandahar, Afghanistan, where the asphalt cooks and air conditioners wheeze in surrender, Afghan taxi drivers have taken a cue from Ancient Persia. Temperatures are now over 104 degrees and air con repairs are too expensive. Forget Tesla’s climate control or fancy freon-fueled chillers—these drivers are mounting DIY windcatchers on their car roofs and turning their beat-up Toyotas into eco-cooling machines. The cost? $43.
Call it badgir 2.0: A clever, water-cooled evaporative system rigged from plastic jugs, PVC pipe, swamp-cooler pads, and a 12V pump, all held together by hope and centuries-old wisdom.
These contraptions—locally called “badnivil”—aren’t just a funky roadside gimmick. They’re actually working better than factory-installed AC in dry climates, cooling the entire cab and earning high praise from passengers, who now prefer the “natural AC” over the old mechanical kind.
“With these coolers, you feel the breeze everywhere,” says one driver in a now-viral AFP video. “The AC just blows cold at the front. This is more like nature.”
Related: 5 ways to use air conditioner water
These rooftop air chillers are inspired by windcatchers—tall structures in Persian architecture designed to funnel and cool breezes into homes, often enhanced with water or ice for maximum effect. Combine that principle with a little MacGyver spirit, and you’ve got Kandahar’s answer to climate adaptation on four wheels.
Via the BBC
While the world waits for billion-dollar innovations to solve heat resilience, these Afghan tinkerers have already built theirs—for about $15. Afghan opium producers also rely on solar energy to grow poppies.
So… Want to Make Your Own McGyvered air con for your car?
You don’t need to be in Kandahar—or even be particularly handy—to build a mini version for your car. Here’s a stripped-down DIY guide to create your own Afghan-style windcatcher cooler. No tech degree or camel required.
?️ DIY: Afghan-Style Evaporative Car Cooler
What You’ll Need:
Item Notes
20L plastic water tank or jerry can (mounts on roof or trunk)
Swamp cooler pad / burlap / sponge (acts as the cooling surface)
Small 12V submersible pump (available online or at garden shops)
Flexible tubing or hose to circulate water
Ducting or vent hose to channel cooled air inside
Mesh screen keeps bugs out, air in
Basic tools, zip ties, sealant for rigging and mounting
Optional: solar panel to power the pump without draining your battery
How Jerry-rigged AC Works
The pump draws water from the tank and keeps the cooling pad wet.
As the car moves (or from natural breeze), air blows through the wet pad.
Water evaporates, heat disappears, and cool air is piped inside.
Because your AC runs on water and physics—not gasoline.
Build Instructions (simplified)
Mount a plastic box or crate on the car roof with airflow holes on both sides. Stuff it with wet cooling pads, burlap, or even old T-shirts—just keep them moist.
Run tubing from a small water tank (placed nearby) to a pump that trickles water onto the pad.
Connect a duct from the back of the box down into your cabin (through a window or vent).
Power your pump via your car battery or a tiny solar panel.
Enjoy the quiet hum of sustainability while everyone else melts in traffic.
Pro tip: If your city is humid, this won’t work as well—evaporative cooling is most effective in dry desert air. For urban use, pair it with a small fan for airflow boost.
The Afghan windcatcher car cooler isn’t just clever. It’s low-cost climate adaptation. With rising global temperatures and millions of cars still without functioning air con, it’s a design-for-the-rest-of-us moment. A punk rock move in a world of overdesigned heat tech. Plus, it’s deeply sustainable: no refrigerants, no increased fuel use, no carbon guilt. Just water, airflow, and a little DIY spirit.
My friends in the hot and dry Negev Desert own a Desert Cooler mounted on the roof to keep their home cool, and delightfully more humid in the hot, desert and dry sun. Why these have fallen out of fashion is anyone’s guess.
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
