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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4094Total
4094Open
0Solved
9Humans
Rapid urban growth in Indonesia has produced large informal settlements lacking basic infrastructure, and in-place upgrading approaches remain rare compared to displacement-driven redevelopment models.
society-governance
asia
indonesia
upgrading
informal
settlements
displacing
residents
rapid
urban
growth
has
economics-resources
systems
without
digital
open
United States, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for scalable interventions improving executive function after chronic stress 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
scalable
solutions
interventions
improving
executive
function
chronic
stress
absence
robust
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
ensuring
open
Papua New Guinea, Oceania
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for governance frameworks for the ethical development and deployment of human enhancement technologies 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
oceania
papua-new-guinea
governance
human
solutions
frameworks
ethical
development
deployment
enhancement
technologies
scalable
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
ensuring
open
Solomon Islands, Oceania
Current approaches to biotechnologies enabling the production of high-value materials from captured carbon dioxide 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.
climate-environment
oceania
solomon-islands
enabling
biotechnologies
production
high-value
materials
captured
carbon
dioxide
systemic
solutions
society-governance
systems
approaches
technologies
methods
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for governance models for ensuring the safety of advanced AI systems capable of recursive self-improvement. 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
europe
romania
governance
models
ensuring
safety
advanced
systems
capable
recursive
self-improvement
breakthrough
solutions
methods
climate-environment
scalable
designs
open
Chile, South America
Girls in parts of Chile disproportionately drop out of secondary school due to a combination of early marriage pressure, unpaid domestic labor expectations, and lack of safe transportation to school.
social-civic-problems
south-america
chile
school
secondary
girls
reducing
dropout
rates
among
parts
disproportionately
education
remain
gaps
global-unspecified
asia
open
Papua New Guinea, Oceania
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for methods for reducing the environmental footprint of the global healthcare system. 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
oceania
papua-new-guinea
methods
reducing
environmental
footprint
healthcare
system
breakthrough
approaches
persistent
solutions
systems
scalable
climate-environment
practical
governance
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for predictive analytics for anticipating and preventing cascading infrastructure failures. 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
india
predictive
analytics
anticipating
preventing
cascading
infrastructure
failures
breakthrough
approaches
persistent
solutions
systems
methods
governance
scalable
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for affordable and durable solutions for the management of household and industrial organic waste. 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
europe
romania
solutions
durable
scalable
affordable
management
household
industrial
organic
waste
persistent
systems
methods
climate-environment
enabling
governance
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for ethical and technical frameworks for human-AI collaboration in high-stakes decision making. 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
vietnam
solutions
ethical
technical
frameworks
human-ai
collaboration
high-stakes
decision
making
systemic
systems
governance
scalable
methods
practical
open
Haiti, North America
Low digital literacy among vulnerable populations in Haiti increases susceptibility to online scams, grooming, and exploitation, with few structured public education programs addressing the gap.
social-civic-problems
north-america
haiti
digital
literacy
gap
online
exploitation
closing
enables
low
among
technology-computing
access
global-unspecified
african
inclusive
Current approaches to real-time digital twins of entire river basins for adaptive management 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
asia
thailand
real-time
digital
twins
entire
river
basins
adaptive
management
integrated
pathways
society-governance
systems
climate-environment
enabling
approaches
open
Colombia, South America
Current approaches to housing and land systems that prevent displacement during climate-driven migration 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.
social-civic-problems
south-america
colombia
systems
housing
land
prevent
displacement
during
climate-driven
migration
practical
realization
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
enabling
under
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for institutional designs that make long-term investments in public health infrastructure politically sustainable 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.
health-biology
oceania
samoa
public-health
institutional
designs
make
long-term
investments
public
health
infrastructure
politically
sustainable
climate-environment
society-governance
methods
systems
Achieving circular design rules and tracking systems for high-value consumer electronics 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.
economics-resources
africa
senegal
systems
circular
design
rules
tracking
high-value
consumer
electronics
systemic
solutions
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
ensuring
methods
open
Ecuador, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for mechanisms for aligning the incentives of technology companies with broader societal goals 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
south-america
ecuador
mechanisms
aligning
incentives
technology
companies
broader
societal
goals
integrated
pathways
methods
systems
barriers
society-governance
designs
Low-income households in Kenya have almost no financial protection against climate-driven income shocks, and existing microinsurance products remain too costly or poorly understood to achieve meaningful uptake.
climate-environment
africa
kenya
products
against
shocks
low-income
households
designing
insurance
climate
have
economics-resources
income
community
global-unspecified
scale
Achieving systems ensuring the long-term stewardship and accessibility of scientific knowledge and data 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.
local-regional
africa
dr-congo
systems
ensuring
long-term
stewardship
accessibility
scientific
knowledge
data
development
achieving
society-governance
economics-resources
climate-environment
technology-computing
designs
Achieving pathways for transitioning fossil-fuel dependent regions to diversified economies 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.
economics-resources
asia
china
pathways
transitioning
fossil-fuel
dependent
regions
diversified
economies
scalable
solutions
achieving
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
designs
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for pathways for achieving high rates of material circularity in the construction sector. 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
indonesia
pathways
achieving
high
rates
material
circularity
construction
sector
overcoming
barriers
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
practical
