Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
Millions of workers migrate for jobs in construction, domestic work, and agriculture but face exploitation due to weak bilateral labor agreements. Digital worker-rights registries and stronger bilateral labor treaties could improve protections.
economics-resources
asia
labor
workers
protections
cross-border
migration
often
leaves
migrant
adequate
global-unspecified
african
informal
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
digital
Cities are growing faster than governments can build roads, utilities, and housing, leading to chronic service shortfalls. Incremental, modular urban planning approaches could help cities adapt more affordably.
society-governance
asia
urban-planning
cities
planning
rapid
unplanned
urbanization
outpacing
infrastructure
asian
growing
faster
urban
climate-environment
african
global-unspecified
systems
Rapid construction is consuming parks and open land, reducing residents' access to recreation and worsening urban heat. Green-corridor urban planning policies could preserve livability as cities expand.
science-space
asia
urban-planning
cities
public
green
space
shrinking
densely
built
asian
urban
rapid
climate-environment
african
global-unspecified
society-governance
systems
Rapid slum growth in wealthy cities means even booming economies have significant underserved populations lacking basic services. Incremental slum-upgrading programs targeting basic services first have proven effective.
social-civic-problems
asia
even
water
sanitation
access
gaps
persist
prosperous
parts
urban
global-unspecified
whether
have
philosophy-ethics
african
don
determine
Urban planners frequently work with old census data, making it hard to allocate resources effectively for fast-changing cities. Satellite-based urban growth monitoring could provide near-real-time planning data.
economics-resources
asia
data
city-level
demographic
economic
outdated
incomplete
urban
planners
frequently
society-governance
global-unspecified
technology-computing
climate-environment
african
systems
whether
Historic neighborhoods and monuments are frequently demolished to make way for commercial development, erasing cultural heritage. Digital heritage-mapping and adaptive-reuse financing models could balance preservation with growth.
technology-computing
asia
heritage
cultural
preservation
development
site
under
threat
rapid
urban
climate-environment
society-governance
climate
long
term
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
Constant traffic and construction noise in megacities contributes to stress and hearing damage but receives little regulatory attention. Urban noise-mapping tools could inform targeted mitigation policies.
health-biology
asia
public-health
noise
pollution
dense
asian
cities
underrecognized
public
health
constant
traffic
climate-environment
global-unspecified
african
urban
water
Factory dormitories in manufacturing hubs frequently offer cramped, unsafe conditions for workers who have migrated from rural areas. Improved labor-housing standards and enforcement could raise living conditions significantly.
social-civic-problems
asia
living
standards
migrant
worker
housing
industrial
zones
often
lacks
global-unspecified
climate-environment
african
workers
philosophy-ethics
urban
health-biology
Limited agricultural land near dense cities increases reliance on imports, raising vulnerability to supply disruptions. Vertical farming and urban agriculture ventures could improve local food resilience.
economics-resources
asia
food-security
urban
food
dense
security
increasingly
risk
land-scarce
asian
city-states
metros
climate-environment
global-unspecified
african
cities
water
Lack of safety standards and fare regulation leaves both drivers and passengers vulnerable, while congestion worsens. App-based regulation and driver-safety certification programs could formalize this sector fairly.
society-governance
asia
informal
transport
sectors
like
auto-rickshaws
motorbike
taxis
remain
unregulated
urban
african
global-unspecified
systems
africa
lack
economics-resources
Treated wastewater is rarely reused for non-potable purposes despite growing water stress in many urban areas. Decentralized greywater recycling systems for buildings could meaningfully cut freshwater demand.
climate-environment
asia
urban
water
recycling
reuse
infrastructure
remains
underdeveloped
asian
cities
treated
global-unspecified
african
systems
haven
Airports in major hubs like Delhi, Manila, and Jakarta face capacity constraints that delay cargo and passenger flow. AI-based air traffic optimization and new regional airport development could ease bottlenecks.
local-regional
asia
air
traffic
logistics
congestion
rising
booming
aviation
sector
airports
african
global-unspecified
urban
cities
economics-resources
remains
climate-environment
Many rural communities have no way to verify if their drinking water is safe, leading to preventable illness. Low-cost portable water-testing kits distributed through community health workers could close this gap.
social-civic-problems
asia
water
rural
quality
testing
monitoring
infrastructure
remains
sparse
communities
global-unspecified
whether
access
philosophy-ethics
african
climate-environment
don
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Factory workers, disproportionately women, frequently face unsafe conditions and low wages in export-oriented garment manufacturing. Independent digital labor-monitoring and grievance-reporting platforms could improve accountability.
technology-computing
asia
south-southeast-asia
garment
conditions
textile
industry
labor
south
southeast
often
fall
global-unspecified
digital
african
workers
informal
economics-resources
open
United States, North America
Poor road design, weak enforcement of traffic laws, and mixed traffic of pedestrians, two-wheelers, and cars create high accident rates. Smart traffic-monitoring and stricter licensing enforcement systems could reduce fatalities.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
traffic
road
chronic
accidents
safety
failures
kill
hundreds
thousands
asia
systems
global-unspecified
reducing
african
public
Founders outside major hubs often cannot easily expand into neighboring markets due to regulatory fragmentation. Harmonized regional startup-friendly regulations could enable faster cross-border scaling.
society-governance
asia
regional
scaling
startups
smaller
economies
face
limited
access
opportunities
african
global-unspecified
remains
local-regional
africa
countries
economics-resources
Millions move to cities annually seeking better opportunities, overwhelming housing, transit, and utility systems built for smaller populations. Satellite-tracked migration-pattern analytics could help cities plan services proactively.
social-civic-problems
asia
services
rural-to-urban
migration
straining
city
faster
governments
adapt
cities
society-governance
urban
public
systems
african
global-unspecified
governance
Uncorrected vision problems reduce learning outcomes in children and productivity in adults, yet eye care is often unavailable locally. Mobile vision-screening clinics and low-cost eyewear distribution networks could address this cheaply.
health-biology
asia
eyewear
vision
access
affordable
correction
remains
limited
rural
uncorrected
global-unspecified
african
low
whether
philosophy-ethics
Oral health is often neglected in public health systems, leading to preventable pain and infection that affects nutrition and productivity. Mobile dental clinics and community oral-health education programs could improve outcomes.
health-biology
asia
public-health
dental
care
access
remains
extremely
limited
rural
parts
health
global-unspecified
social-civic-problems
african
society-governance
public
whether
Popular herbal and traditional remedies vary widely in potency and purity, sometimes causing harm when unregulated. Quality-testing labs and certification systems for traditional medicine producers could improve safety.
society-governance
asia
traditional
medicine
safety
alternative
practices
lack
standardized
quality
regulation
systems
technology-computing
ensuring
african
informal
global-unspecified
economics-resources
