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.
Publicly citable
Every problem has a stable citation code for reference and discussion.
Filtered by relevance
Search by category, geography, status, and keywords.
Builder-oriented
Use the repository to find startup ideas, policy leads, and research agendas.
4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
United States, North America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for therapeutics that reverse or halt the progression of major neurodegenerative diseases. 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
therapeutics
reverse
halt
progression
major
neurodegenerative
diseases
realization
persistent
solutions
systems
scalable
methods
governance
open
South Africa, Africa
Schools in South Africa rarely have counselors trained to screen for depression, and stigma around mental illness discourages families from seeking care even where services technically exist.
social-civic-problems
africa
south-africa
depression
schools
south
addressing
untreated
adolescent
under-resourced
rarely
have
health-biology
global-unspecified
mental-health
open
Mexico, North America
Tuberculosis treatment in Mexico requires six or more months of consistent dosing, but migrant and seasonal workers frequently relocate mid-treatment, breaking continuity of care and driving drug-resistant strains.
health-biology
north-america
mexico
tuberculosis
treatment
migrant
workers
sustaining
adherence
among
requires
six
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
way
Achieving materials enabling efficient direct conversion of sunlight to liquid fuels 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
europe
spain
materials
enabling
efficient
direct
conversion
sunlight
liquid
fuels
systemic
solutions
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
technologies
open
New Zealand, Oceania
Current approaches to low-cost continuous metabolic monitors for resource-limited diabetes care 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
new-zealand
low-cost
continuous
metabolic
monitors
resource-limited
diabetes
care
deployable
technologies
current
systems
climate-environment
enabling
approaches
solutions
open
United States, North America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for systems ensuring the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles in mixed traffic environments. 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
systems
ensuring
safety
reliability
autonomous
vehicles
mixed
traffic
environments
solutions
methods
governance
climate-environment
scalable
open
Haiti, North America
Women in rural areas of Haiti often travel long distances for reproductive healthcare, and the shortage of trained providers leaves many without access to family planning or maternal care services.
economics-resources
north-america
haiti
access
reproductive
healthcare
rural
expanding
safe
women
areas
often
global-unspecified
remains
african
urban
Emergency relief supplies in Myanmar are typically mobilized only after a cyclone makes landfall, resulting in critical delays reaching affected communities in the first 72 hours.
economics-resources
asia
myanmar
supply-chain
emergency
cyclone
pre-positioning
supply
chains
ahead
season
relief
supplies
pre
positioning
critical
kenya
nigeria
Smallholder farmers in Romania lack affordable, low-evaporation water storage to bridge increasingly erratic rainy seasons, forcing crop failure during even short dry spells.
climate-environment
europe
romania
water
storage
smallholder
farmers
designing
drought-resilient
lack
affordable
low-evaporation
global-unspecified
economics-resources
urban
african
Public procurement processes in Nigeria lack standardized open-data reporting, making it difficult for civil society and auditors to detect overpricing, collusion, or misallocation of public funds.
society-governance
africa
nigeria
public
procurement
increasing
transparency
contracts
processes
lack
standardized
open-data
institutions
systems
technology-computing
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
open
Canada, North America
Current approaches to neutron-resistant fusion blanket and structural materials 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
north-america
canada
approaches
neutron-resistant
fusion
blanket
structural
materials
breakthrough
current
either
underperform
systems
climate-environment
enabling
solutions
under
Postpartum hemorrhage remains a leading cause of maternal death in Indonesia because low-resource facilities often lack rapid blood-typing, stored blood products, and trained staff to intervene within the critical first hour after delivery.
health-biology
asia
indonesia
maternal
postpartum
hemorrhage
reducing
mortality
remote
regions
remains
leading
global-unspecified
whether
way
philosophy-ethics
open
New Zealand, Oceania
Achieving biotechnologies for engineering crops that require substantially less water and fertilizer 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
oceania
new-zealand
engineering
biotechnologies
crops
require
substantially
less
water
fertilizer
practical
realization
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
open
New Zealand, Oceania
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for early detection of groundwater depletion and quality decline at basin scale. 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
new-zealand
early
detection
groundwater
depletion
quality
decline
basin
scale
breakthrough
approaches
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
practical
open
Costa Rica, North America
Current approaches to nitrogen-fixing cereals productive on low-phosphorus tropical soils 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
north-america
costa-rica
systems
nitrogen-fixing
cereals
productive
low-phosphorus
tropical
soils
field-ready
current
approaches
climate-environment
enabling
under
designs
technology-computing
open
South Africa, Africa
A large share of primary school students in South Africa cannot read a simple sentence by the expected grade level, reflecting gaps in teacher training and curriculum pacing rather than school attendance alone.
social-civic-problems
africa
south-africa
gaps
primary
students
south
closing
foundational
literacy
among
school
global-unspecified
mathematics-logic
open
Costa Rica, North America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for protocols for the ethical development and testing of human longevity interventions 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.
philosophy-ethics
north-america
costa-rica
barriers
protocols
ethical
development
testing
human
longevity
interventions
overcoming
despite
climate-environment
methods
systems
society-governance
designs
open
New Zealand, Oceania
Achieving solvent-free recovery of critical minerals from complex e-waste 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
oceania
new-zealand
solvent-free
recovery
critical
minerals
complex
e-waste
integrated
pathways
achieving
meaningful
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
open
Chile, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for pathways for achieving high rates of energy efficiency and demand reduction in buildings and industry 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
chile
high
pathways
achieving
rates
energy
efficiency
demand
reduction
buildings
industry
systems
methods
society-governance
barriers
designs
Citizens of Ethiopia generate growing volumes of personal data through digital services, but existing legal frameworks lack enforcement mechanisms to hold companies accountable for misuse.
technology-computing
africa
ethiopia
data
citizens
establishing
enforceable
privacy
protections
generate
growing
volumes
society-governance
global-unspecified
african
whether
systems
incomplete
