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
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for industrial-scale lunar propellant and structural material production. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
asia
malaysia
industrial-scale
lunar
propellant
structural
material
production
deployable
technologies
persistent
gap
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
enabling
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for real-time systems for detecting and responding to food safety threats across supply chains are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
economics-resources
oceania
fiji
supply-chain
real-time
systems
detecting
responding
food
safety
threats
supply
chains
practical
climate-environment
society-governance
methods
real
open
United States, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for education approaches that build the capacity for systems thinking and long-term decision making creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
systems
solutions
education
approaches
build
capacity
thinking
long-term
decision
making
climate-environment
methods
enabling
ensuring
designs
open
Paraguay, South America
Current approaches to designs for digital identity and credential systems that protect privacy and prevent exclusion either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
technology-computing
south-america
paraguay
systems
approaches
designs
digital
identity
credential
protect
privacy
prevent
exclusion
society-governance
climate-environment
enabling
under
solutions
Remote forest concessions in Myanmar are difficult to monitor for illegal logging due to limited satellite resolution refresh rates and insufficient ground-truthing capacity by local enforcement.
science-space
asia
myanmar
illegal
logging
remote
forest
concessions
tracking
difficult
monitor
due
global-unspecified
society-governance
philosophy-ethics
climate-environment
open
Ecuador, South America
Achieving low-cost diagnostics and treatments for the major neglected tropical diseases at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
health-biology
south-america
ecuador
low-cost
diagnostics
treatments
major
neglected
tropical
diseases
integrated
pathways
achieving
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
open
South Africa, Africa
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for circular economy systems that eliminate leakage of plastics into the environment are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
africa
south-africa
circular
economy
systems
eliminate
leakage
plastics
environment
integrated
pathways
under
society-governance
methods
economics-resources
barriers
designs
Rapidly urbanizing areas of Poland experience worsening heat-island effects, yet most cities lack neighborhood-level heat alert systems tied to actionable cooling-center and outreach protocols.
local-regional
europe
poland
systems
heat
building
early-warning
extreme
events
urban
rapidly
urbanizing
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
global-unspecified
economics-resources
cities
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for institutional designs that reduce the influence of short-term interests on long-term policy are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
society-governance
asia
india
institutional
designs
reduce
influence
short-term
interests
long-term
policy
practical
realization
climate-environment
methods
systems
barriers
high
Informal waste pickers in Philippines recover a substantial share of recyclable material but operate without legal recognition, safety equipment, or fair pricing from recycling buyers.
economics-resources
asia
philippines
informal
formalizing
waste-picker
livelihoods
waste
pickers
recover
substantial
share
settlements
systems
picker
climate-environment
global-unspecified
urban
Current approaches to scalable restoration of degraded dryland ecosystems under intensifying aridity either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
society-governance
africa
ghana
under
scalable
restoration
degraded
dryland
ecosystems
intensifying
aridity
development
current
systems
climate-environment
enabling
solutions
methods
open
Guatemala, North America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for symbiont-mediated coral heat tolerance enhancement protocols are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
north-america
guatemala
symbiont-mediated
coral
heat
tolerance
enhancement
protocols
scalable
solutions
despite
recognition
methods
systems
society-governance
barriers
designs
open
Ecuador, South America
Current approaches to selective critical-ion extraction from low-grade brines either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
society-governance
south-america
ecuador
selective
critical-ion
extraction
low-grade
brines
integrated
pathways
current
approaches
either
systems
climate-environment
enabling
under
solutions
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for antibiotic-free recirculating aquaculture with zero nutrient discharge. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
asia
nepal
antibiotic-free
recirculating
aquaculture
zero
nutrient
discharge
deployable
technologies
persistent
gap
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
practical
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for education systems that equip learners with the skills needed for a circular and regenerative economy creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
europe
spain
systems
education
equip
learners
skills
needed
circular
regenerative
economy
breakthrough
solutions
climate-environment
ensuring
methods
enabling
Existing rapid HIV diagnostics used in Egypt still require reagents sensitive to heat and humidity, causing false results and delayed treatment initiation in areas without reliable refrigeration or laboratory backup.
health-biology
africa
egypt
rapid
diagnostics
hiv
areas
improving
cold-free
remote
existing
require
technology-computing
digital
pakistan
vietnam
open
United States, North America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for autonomous systems for monitoring and maintaining critical undersea infrastructure. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
practical
autonomous
systems
monitoring
maintaining
critical
undersea
infrastructure
realization
persistent
solutions
methods
ensuring
climate-environment
governance
open
Mexico, North America
Achieving technologies for verifying compliance with international environmental agreements at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
climate-environment
north-america
mexico
technologies
verifying
compliance
international
environmental
agreements
practical
realization
achieving
meaningful
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
Women-led microenterprises in Philippines face disproportionate barriers to opening and maintaining formal savings accounts, limiting their capacity to reinvest and grow their businesses.
local-regional
asia
philippines
savings
women-led
microenterprises
expanding
product
access
face
disproportionate
barriers
women
led
brazil
peru
colombia
mexico
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for protocols for the responsible development and deployment of autonomous systems in civilian applications creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
europe
poland
systems
solutions
protocols
responsible
development
deployment
autonomous
civilian
applications
scalable
climate-environment
governance
methods
ensuring
enabling
