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
Palm oil and timber industries clear forest at rates that threaten orangutans and other endangered species while releasing significant carbon emissions. Sustainable palm oil certification and satellite-based deforestation tracking need stronger enforcement.
climate-environment
asia
indonesia
deforestation
carbon-emissions
threaten
malaysia
continues
some
world
biodiverse
rainforests
palm
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
way
have
whether
Rapid consumption growth combined with inadequate waste management sends huge volumes of plastic into waterways each year. River-cleaning technology and plastic-to-value recycling startups could intercept waste before it reaches oceans.
climate-environment
asia
waste-management
waste
plastic
pollution
asian
rivers
coastlines
contributes
heavily
ocean
globally
global-unspecified
management
systems
recycling
solutions
open
Southeast Asia, Asia
Warming waters, pollution, and destructive fishing practices are damaging reefs that millions depend on for fishing and tourism income. Coral restoration projects and marine protected area enforcement need expanded funding.
climate-environment
asia
southeast-asia
biodiversity
coral
marine
reef
degradation
threatens
coastal
livelihoods
southeast
fishing
communities
economics-resources
global-unspecified
bleaching
near
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Densely populated deltas like the Ganges-Brahmaputra and Mekong face increasing flooding and salinization of farmland. Adaptive infrastructure and salt-tolerant crop varieties could help communities adjust.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
sea
level
rise
threatens
low-lying
delta
regions
south
southeast
global-unspecified
african
remains
haven
coastal
infrastructure
Changing ice patterns disrupt traditional agricultural water cycles that communities have relied on for generations. Better climate modeling and adaptive water-management planning are urgently needed.
climate-environment
asia
central-asia
water
melting
permafrost
glaciers
central
altering
regional
availability
changing
global-unspecified
urban
african
whether
don
philosophy-ethics
open
Central & East Asia, Asia
Overgrazing and unsustainable land use are turning productive land into desert, threatening herding communities' livelihoods. Large-scale reforestation and sustainable grazing management programs could slow the spread.
economics-resources
asia
central-east-asia
desert
desertification
spreading
parts
central
east
including
edges
gobi
communities
land
climate-environment
global-unspecified
remain
african
Decades of unregulated manufacturing have left soil unsafe for farming in some areas, requiring costly remediation. Affordable soil-remediation technology and stricter industrial waste regulation are needed.
climate-environment
asia
industrial
soil
pollution
has
severely
contaminated
water
several
rapidly
industrialized
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
affordable
don
urban
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Rising temperatures combined with high humidity are pushing some regions toward conditions where outdoor work becomes dangerous. Heat-early-warning systems and outdoor worker protection policies need urgent development.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
extreme
heatwaves
becoming
frequent
deadly
south
southeast
outdoor
rising
systems
economics-resources
society-governance
real
time
predicting
Frequent earthquakes, floods, and typhoons overwhelm response systems that lack modern early-warning and coordination technology. Regional disaster-data sharing platforms could improve response speed and reduce casualties.
climate-environment
asia
response
coordination
disaster
preparedness
remain
weak
several
disaster-prone
asian
countries
systems
society-governance
technology-computing
global-unspecified
public
health-biology
Cities are growing faster than governments can build roads, utilities, and housing, leading to chronic service shortfalls. Incremental, modular urban planning approaches could help cities adapt more affordably.
society-governance
asia
urban-planning
cities
planning
rapid
unplanned
urbanization
outpacing
infrastructure
asian
growing
faster
urban
climate-environment
african
global-unspecified
systems
Rapid construction is consuming parks and open land, reducing residents' access to recreation and worsening urban heat. Green-corridor urban planning policies could preserve livability as cities expand.
science-space
asia
urban-planning
cities
public
green
space
shrinking
densely
built
asian
urban
rapid
climate-environment
african
global-unspecified
society-governance
systems
Urban planners frequently work with old census data, making it hard to allocate resources effectively for fast-changing cities. Satellite-based urban growth monitoring could provide near-real-time planning data.
economics-resources
asia
data
city-level
demographic
economic
outdated
incomplete
urban
planners
frequently
society-governance
global-unspecified
technology-computing
climate-environment
african
systems
whether
Historic neighborhoods and monuments are frequently demolished to make way for commercial development, erasing cultural heritage. Digital heritage-mapping and adaptive-reuse financing models could balance preservation with growth.
technology-computing
asia
heritage
cultural
preservation
development
site
under
threat
rapid
urban
climate-environment
society-governance
climate
long
term
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
Constant traffic and construction noise in megacities contributes to stress and hearing damage but receives little regulatory attention. Urban noise-mapping tools could inform targeted mitigation policies.
health-biology
asia
public-health
noise
pollution
dense
asian
cities
underrecognized
public
health
constant
traffic
climate-environment
global-unspecified
african
urban
water
Factory dormitories in manufacturing hubs frequently offer cramped, unsafe conditions for workers who have migrated from rural areas. Improved labor-housing standards and enforcement could raise living conditions significantly.
social-civic-problems
asia
living
standards
migrant
worker
housing
industrial
zones
often
lacks
global-unspecified
climate-environment
african
workers
philosophy-ethics
urban
health-biology
Limited agricultural land near dense cities increases reliance on imports, raising vulnerability to supply disruptions. Vertical farming and urban agriculture ventures could improve local food resilience.
economics-resources
asia
food-security
urban
food
dense
security
increasingly
risk
land-scarce
asian
city-states
metros
climate-environment
global-unspecified
african
cities
water
Treated wastewater is rarely reused for non-potable purposes despite growing water stress in many urban areas. Decentralized greywater recycling systems for buildings could meaningfully cut freshwater demand.
climate-environment
asia
urban
water
recycling
reuse
infrastructure
remains
underdeveloped
asian
cities
treated
global-unspecified
african
systems
haven
Airports in major hubs like Delhi, Manila, and Jakarta face capacity constraints that delay cargo and passenger flow. AI-based air traffic optimization and new regional airport development could ease bottlenecks.
local-regional
asia
air
traffic
logistics
congestion
rising
booming
aviation
sector
airports
african
global-unspecified
urban
cities
economics-resources
remains
climate-environment
Many rural communities have no way to verify if their drinking water is safe, leading to preventable illness. Low-cost portable water-testing kits distributed through community health workers could close this gap.
social-civic-problems
asia
water
rural
quality
testing
monitoring
infrastructure
remains
sparse
communities
global-unspecified
whether
access
philosophy-ethics
african
climate-environment
don
Smallholder-dominated supply chains struggle to meet the strict quality and safety standards required for lucrative export markets. Shared certification and quality-testing infrastructure could help small farmers access premium export markets.
economics-resources
asia
supply-chain
export
quality
standards
agricultural
competitiveness
limited
inconsistent
asian
producers
markets
african
global-unspecified
africa
access
climate-environment
