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
Current approaches to institutional innovations that increase the political durability of long-term climate policy 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
asia
pakistan
long-term
institutional
innovations
increase
political
durability
climate
policy
systemic
solutions
climate-environment
systems
enabling
under
designs
open
Mexico, North America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for affordable methods for the continuous monitoring of environmental and occupational health hazards. 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
mexico
affordable
methods
continuous
monitoring
environmental
occupational
health
hazards
overcoming
barriers
solutions
systems
scalable
climate-environment
enabling
Hospitals, schools, and water systems in seismically active parts of Morocco were largely built before modern earthquake codes, and retrofitting remains unfunded at scale.
social-civic-problems
africa
morocco
retrofitting
critical
infrastructure
against
earthquakes
hospitals
schools
water
systems
society-governance
public
creating
building
governance
institutions
open
Brazil, South America
Achieving systems for verifying the absence of forced labor throughout complex global supply chains 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
south-america
brazil
supply-chain
systems
verifying
absence
forced
labor
throughout
complex
supply
chains
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
solutions
methods
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for biotechnologies for producing high-performance materials from renewable feedstocks 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
fiji
biotechnologies
producing
high-performance
materials
renewable
feedstocks
practical
realization
absence
robust
solutions
systems
climate-environment
enabling
methods
open
United States, North America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for pathways for achieving universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation 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
united-states
pathways
achieving
universal
access
safe
affordable
drinking
water
sanitation
systemic
methods
society-governance
systems
solutions
economics-resources
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for real-time systems for predicting and mitigating the cascading impacts of climate extremes 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.
climate-environment
europe
romania
systems
cascading
solutions
real-time
predicting
mitigating
impacts
climate
extremes
scalable
society-governance
methods
real
time
ensuring
Achieving home-compostable polymers matching PET barrier performance 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
uganda
home-compostable
polymers
matching
pet
barrier
performance
breakthrough
approaches
achieving
meaningful
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
open
Colombia, South America
Current approaches to biotechnologies for engineering plants that sequester more carbon in durable soil organic matter 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
south-america
colombia
systems
biotechnologies
engineering
plants
sequester
carbon
durable
soil
organic
matter
society-governance
enabling
solutions
under
methods
Affordable housing construction in Philippines is constrained by the high cost of imported cement and steel, while locally viable alternative materials remain underused due to lack of building code recognition.
social-civic-problems
asia
philippines
construction
affordable
housing
reducing
material
costs
constrained
high
cost
climate-environment
global-unspecified
materials
society-governance
Current approaches to governance models for ensuring the ethical development of advanced human-machine interfaces 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
oceania
samoa
governance
models
ensuring
ethical
development
advanced
human-machine
interfaces
practical
realization
systems
climate-environment
enabling
solutions
under
Infectious disease outbreaks near Vietnam's borders are frequently delayed in detection because neighboring health ministries use incompatible reporting systems and lack a shared, real-time data-sharing agreement.
health-biology
asia
vietnam
infectious-disease
coordinating
cross-border
outbreak
response
protocols
around
infectious
disease
outbreaks
systems
cross
society-governance
border
health
Current approaches to methods for restoring the health of oceans and marine ecosystems under multiple stressors 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
nigeria
under
methods
restoring
health
oceans
marine
ecosystems
multiple
stressors
scalable
systems
climate-environment
enabling
solutions
approaches
Achieving affordable and durable solutions for household air pollution in biomass-dependent regions 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
africa
tanzania
air-pollution
affordable
durable
solutions
household
air
pollution
biomass-dependent
regions
development
achieving
society-governance
economics-resources
systems
methods
open
United States, North America
Peri-urban areas surrounding major cities in United States have inconsistent internet access, limiting residents' access to remote work, telehealth, and digital financial services.
technology-computing
north-america
united-states
digital
peri-urban
areas
united
states
extending
affordable
connectivity
access
surrounding
global-unspecified
society-governance
african
remains
social-civic-problems
open
New Zealand, Oceania
Current approaches to methods for restoring the ecological function of coral reefs under ongoing climate change 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
new-zealand
climate-change
under
methods
restoring
ecological
function
coral
reefs
ongoing
climate
change
society-governance
systems
enabling
solutions
Small-scale fishers in Bangladesh often operate without formal recognition or access to credit, insurance, or market infrastructure, leaving them economically vulnerable and undercounted in fisheries policy.
economics-resources
asia
bangladesh
small-scale
formalizing
fisher
livelihoods
rights
fishers
often
operate
formal
small
scale
global-unspecified
african
informal
remains
open
Canada, North America
Achieving methods for restoring the water quality and ecological function of urban rivers and lakes 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.
mathematics-logic
north-america
canada
methods
restoring
water
quality
ecological
function
urban
rivers
lakes
practical
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
solutions
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for sensor networks and models for predicting urban flood risk at street-level resolution 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
asia
kazakhstan
sensor
networks
models
predicting
urban
flood
risk
street-level
resolution
integrated
solutions
systems
climate-environment
robust
governance
Public transit systems in Australia largely lack infrastructure accommodating wheelchair users and other mobility-impaired riders, effectively excluding them from affordable transportation.
society-governance
oceania
australia
public
transit
improving
accessibility
people
disabilities
systems
largely
lack
technology-computing
global-unspecified
haven
whether
governance
