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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
Heavily subsidized irrigation water discourages efficient use in water-stressed countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Volumetric water pricing paired with efficient irrigation tech could cut waste significantly.
climate-environment
asia
central-asia
water
pricing
subsidy
structures
often
encourage
wasteful
central
asian
agriculture
global-unspecified
urban
whether
don
philosophy-ethics
Current desalination technology consumes large amounts of fossil-fuel energy, undermining sustainability goals. Solar-powered desalination research could make the process both cheaper and greener.
climate-environment
asia
middle-east
desalination
remains
too
energy-intensive
costly
widespread
adoption
water-scarce
gulf
states
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
society-governance
Rapid industrialization and urbanization mean many countries still rely heavily on coal to meet rising electricity needs. Faster renewable grid integration and battery storage deployment are critical.
climate-environment
asia
faster
energy
demand
growing
clean
power
supply
keep
rapid
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
way
have
storage
Coal remains the cheapest and most reliable power source for many governments despite pollution and climate costs. Faster cost declines in battery storage could accelerate the shift to renewables.
climate-environment
asia
india
coal
climate
dependency
countries
like
china
indonesia
complicates
commitments
global-unspecified
society-governance
methods
institutional
whether
migration
Cheap subsidized electricity and fuel encourage overuse and strain government budgets that could otherwise fund renewables. Smart-subsidy targeting using digital ID systems could redirect support to those who need it most.
society-governance
asia
energy
subsidies
several
asian
countries
discourage
efficient
consumption
cheap
subsidized
systems
resilient
corruption
global-unspecified
climate-environment
creating
open
South & Central Asia, Asia
Aging infrastructure and demand surges cause frequent power outages that disrupt businesses and daily life. Localized battery-backed microgrids could provide more resilient power in outage-prone regions.
climate-environment
asia
south-central-asia
grid
instability
blackouts
remain
common
parts
south
central
power
rural
global-unspecified
local-regional
african
Countries without domestic gas reserves face volatile energy costs tied to global supply disruptions. Diversifying into renewables and regional gas-sharing agreements could reduce this exposure.
local-regional
asia
gas
natural
import
dependency
leaves
several
asian
economies
vulnerable
price
global-unspecified
whether
african
philosophy-ethics
determine
climate-environment
Without reliable charging networks, EV adoption stalls in smaller cities and rural areas despite growing manufacturing capacity. Battery-swapping stations designed for two- and three-wheelers could accelerate rural EV adoption.
local-regional
asia
charging
cities
electric
vehicle
infrastructure
remains
sparse
outside
major
asian
rural
global-unspecified
african
climate-environment
urban
access
open
South & Central Asia, Asia
Melting glaciers and shifting rainfall patterns threaten the reliability of hydropower that many countries depend on, while upstream-downstream tensions complicate new dam projects. Diversified renewable portfolios could reduce over-reliance on hydropower alone.
climate-environment
asia
south-central-asia
hydropower
projects
mountainous
face
rising
climate
geopolitical
risks
melting
global-unspecified
institutional
arrangements
reduce
corruption
society-governance
Many factories use outdated, energy-intensive equipment, raising costs and emissions unnecessarily. Affordable energy-audit services and efficiency retrofitting financing could unlock significant savings.
climate-environment
asia
efficiency
industrial
energy
manufacturing
sector
remains
low
factories
outdated
global-unspecified
mathematics-logic
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
high
affordable
Rapid expansion of universities has sometimes outpaced faculty quality and research infrastructure investment. Stronger accreditation systems and research-funding reform could improve academic standards.
social-civic-problems
asia
systems
quality
research
higher
education
parts
struggle
assurance
output
society-governance
technology-computing
climate-environment
economics-resources
global-unspecified
mathematics-logic
philosophy-ethics
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Frequent floods, cyclones, and earthquakes devastate uninsured households and businesses repeatedly. Parametric disaster insurance triggered by weather data could speed up payouts and expand coverage.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
insurance
disaster
penetration
climate
risk
remains
very
low
south
southeast
global-unspecified
african
whether
haven
philosophy-ethics
Cities like Manila, Jakarta, and Mumbai rank among the world's most congested, costing billions in lost time and fuel. Integrated mass-transit expansion and smart traffic-management systems are urgently needed.
economics-resources
asia
traffic
congestion
asian
megacities
causes
massive
economic
productivity
losses
cities
african
systems
urban
global-unspecified
climate-environment
infrastructure
Rapid urban migration combined with limited land supply is pushing housing prices far beyond what average incomes can support. Modular and prefabricated housing ventures could help increase affordable supply faster.
social-civic-problems
asia
housing
affordability
crises
worsening
major
asian
cities
supply
rapid
urban
african
global-unspecified
economics-resources
systems
climate-environment
affordable
Many older buildings in seismic zones like Nepal, Indonesia, and Turkey do not meet modern earthquake-resistant standards. Retrofit financing programs and stricter enforced building codes could save many lives.
economics-resources
asia
indonesia
building
earthquake
disaster
resilience
asian
stock
remains
inadequate
older
buildings
climate-environment
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
standards
future
Secondary cities often lack the metro or bus rapid transit systems that ease congestion in capitals, forcing reliance on private vehicles. Lower-cost bus rapid transit models could be replicated more widely.
society-governance
asia
transit
cities
public
coverage
remains
limited
outside
capital
bus
systems
urban
global-unspecified
secondary
african
climate-environment
economics-resources
Rising consumption and inadequate recycling infrastructure mean much of urban waste ends up in rivers, oceans, or informal dumps. Decentralized waste-to-value recycling ventures could turn this into an opportunity.
climate-environment
asia
waste-management
waste
management
systems
fast-growing
asian
cities
overwhelmed
recycling
rising
consumption
global-unspecified
urban
informal
african
infrastructure
Concrete-heavy construction with little greenery raises city temperatures well above surrounding areas, increasing heat-related illness. Urban greening mandates and reflective building materials could reduce heat buildup.
local-regional
asia
urban
heat
islands
intensifying
health
risks
densely
built
asian
cities
climate-environment
african
global-unspecified
water
systems
climate
Discarded phones, computers, and batteries often end up in informal, toxic recycling operations that harm workers and the environment. Formal e-waste recycling ventures could recover valuable materials safely.
climate-environment
asia
recycling
e-waste
booming
electronics
consumption
lacks
adequate
infrastructure
discarded
waste
global-unspecified
systems
informal
haven
economics-resources
management
Poor air quality now ranks among the top public health risks in the region, yet cross-border cooperation on solutions remains limited. Regional air-quality monitoring networks and shared mitigation strategies are needed.
climate-environment
asia
india
public-health
air-pollution
air
pollution
crop
burning
vehicle
emissions
creates
severe
seasonal
smog
global-unspecified
society-governance
solutions
