A general view of air conditioning units installed on balconies in the business district of Plateau, in Abidjan on June 24, 2026. Like many African countries Ivory Coast generally experiences high temperatures for nearly eight months of the year, forcing many people to rely on air conditioning for comfort. In Abidjan, a metropolis of more than six million inhabitants with rapid urbanization, air conditioners are ubiquitous in offices, hospitals, and shops. They are part of the landscape in many neighborhoods of this economic capital, where condensers mounted high on building walls hum continuously. (Photo by Issouf SANOGO / AFP via Getty Images)