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
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Bee populations have declined sharply in many regions, partly due to pesticide exposure, threatening the pollination that much of global food production depends on. A farming approach that protects both crops and pollinators remains incomplete.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
pollinators
haven
solved
farm
pesticides
harm
like
bees
bee
populations
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
prevent
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Vast areas of farmland worldwide have been degraded by decades of intensive use, and restoring their fertility can take years even with the right techniques. Scaling this restoration affordably remains an unresolved agricultural challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
have
degraded
farmland
don
affordable
way
restore
back
healthy
productive
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Invasive plants and animals introduced by global trade and travel can outcompete native species, sometimes causing lasting ecological damage before anyone intervenes. Effective, scalable methods for controlling their spread remain incomplete.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
invasive
species
native
yet
stop
spreading
displacing
wildlife
ecosystems
plants
philosophy-ethics
whether
prevent
determine
have
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fertilizer and pesticide runoff from farms create dead zones in rivers and lakes where oxygen levels drop too low to support aquatic life. Preventing this runoff without harming farm productivity remains an unresolved environmental challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
runoff
haven
found
way
protect
freshwater
ecosystems
agricultural
pollution
scale
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
prevent
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Vast stretches of ocean lie beyond any single nation's jurisdiction, making it difficult to monitor and stop illegal fishing that depletes fish populations faster than they can recover. Closing this enforcement gap remains an unresolved challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
illegal
fishing
don
have
effective
system
track
reduce
international
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
way
agreed
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rising ocean temperatures trigger coral bleaching events that can kill reefs outright if heat stress lasts too long, and current interventions can only help a small fraction of affected reefs. Scaling protection to match the pace of warming remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
reefs
bleaching
coral
heat
yet
fully
prevent
death
during
marine
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many heavily polluted cities in lower-income regions still lack dense, affordable monitoring networks that could help residents and policymakers respond in real time. Closing this data gap remains a persistent public health and environmental challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
public-health
air-pollution
monitoring
affordable
polluted
cities
haven
solved
make
air
pollution
accurate
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Washing machines release countless tiny plastic fibers from synthetic fabrics into wastewater, and most filtration systems aren't designed to catch particles this small. This steady stream of microplastic pollution remains largely unaddressed at the source.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
plastic
systems
synthetic
don
have
way
prevent
microfibers
shedding
water
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some fish populations have been fished to the point of collapse, and even with strict conservation measures, recovery can take decades longer than demand is willing to wait. Balancing recovery with continued food needs remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
fish
populations
demand
yet
restore
collapsed
fast
enough
keep
pace
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
have
prevent
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Soil erodes far faster than it naturally regenerates in many farming regions, threatening long-term food production capacity. Reversing this imbalance at a global scale remains an unresolved agricultural and environmental challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
soil
haven
found
way
prevent
erosion
outpacing
natural
rate
formation
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Crop residue and animal waste could theoretically be converted into biogas or other clean energy sources, but the infrastructure needed remains too costly for many farms to adopt. Scaling this technology affordably remains an unresolved opportunity.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
waste
clean
energy
don
have
affordable
way
convert
agricultural
scale
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As oceans absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they become more acidic in ways that threaten shellfish, coral, and the broader marine food chain. Reversing or even halting this chemical shift remains beyond current technology.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
oceans
carbon
dioxide
yet
fully
stop
acidification
caused
rising
absorption
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Migratory birds depend on a chain of habitats across multiple countries, and losing even one critical stopover point can threaten an entire species' survival. Coordinating protection across this many jurisdictions remains an unresolved conservation challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
migratory
entire
haven
solved
protect
bird
populations
habitat
loss
along
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
prevent
mathematics-logic
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even legally protected forests are frequently logged illegally due to weak enforcement and high demand for timber, undermining conservation efforts on paper. Stopping this in practice, not just in law, remains an unresolved global challenge.
society-governance
global-unspecified
protected
don
have
scalable
way
prevent
illegal
logging
rainforest
reserves
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Wetlands absorb floodwater and protect surrounding areas, but they continue to be drained or developed faster than they're restored in many regions. Protecting or rebuilding this natural infrastructure remains an unresolved environmental priority.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
wetlands
natural
yet
fully
prevent
loss
serve
flood
buffers
nearby
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Desalination plants typically discharge extremely salty brine back into the ocean, which can harm nearby marine ecosystems if not managed carefully. A cleaner, more sustainable desalination process remains technically unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
haven
found
affordable
way
desalinate
water
producing
large
amounts
concentrated
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Ocean shipping produces a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet the industry has been slower than others to adopt cleaner fuel alternatives at scale. Speeding up this transition remains an unresolved climate challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
shipping
don
have
reliable
way
track
reduce
carbon
footprint
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Kelp forests support diverse marine ecosystems but are increasingly vulnerable to warming waters and invasive species that outcompete them once they weaken. Restoring and protecting these ecosystems at scale remains an unresolved conservation challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
kelp
forests
warming
waters
yet
fully
prevent
die-off
caused
coastal
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many cities lack convenient composting systems, so a significant share of food waste that could be composted still ends up in landfills producing methane. Scaling accessible composting infrastructure remains an unresolved urban sustainability challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
composting
infrastructure
accessible
urban
haven
solved
make
widely
dense
areas
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
systems
cities
open
United States, North America
Some of the world's largest aquifers are being pumped for irrigation and drinking water far faster than natural processes can refill them. Once fully depleted, these ancient water reserves may take centuries to recover, if they recover at all.
climate-environment
north-america
united-states
fully
aquifers
yet
prevent
depletion
groundwater
took
thousands
years
form
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
