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
Unsustainable grazing and land degradation in the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts trigger toxic dust storms that sweep thousands of miles, destroying topsoil, damaging infrastructure, and worsening air quality across Northeast Asia.
climate-environment
asia
united-states
dust
storms
haven
halted
sand
sds
spreading
expanding
desertification
global-unspecified
african
access
economics-resources
land
parts
In Mongolia and Central Asia, winter disaster phenomena ('dzuds') freeze pasturelands, killing millions of livestock and forcing nomadic herders into impoverished urban shantytowns without transition support.
climate-environment
asia
mongolia
nomadic
livestock
haven
modernized
traditional
pastoral
management
survive
severe
extreme
urban
health-biology
global-unspecified
established
economics-resources
open
United Arab Emirates, Asia
Thermal and reverse-osmosis desalination across West Asian coastal regions consumes immense fossil fuel resources and discharges hypersaline brine back into marine ecosystems, harming coral reefs.
climate-environment
asia
united-arab-emirates
renewable-energy
desalination
west
asian
haven
developed
affordable
tech
powered
renewable
energy
brine
ocean
governance
global-unspecified
Rising sea levels and severe droughts force rural families to migrate into overcrowded urban slums where municipal infrastructure cannot absorb them, leading to social friction and extreme vulnerability.
climate-environment
asia
bangladesh
urban
haven
created
effective
reintegration
pathways
millions
internal
climate
refugees
cities
society-governance
economics-resources
change
african
Archipelagic island communities rely almost exclusively on imported, highly polluting diesel generators for power, making electricity prices exorbitantly high and vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
local-regional
asia
maldives
renewable-energy
supply-chain
island
haven
built
decentralized
off-grid
renewable
energy
grids
remote
provinces
communities
economics-resources
climate-environment
High-value illicit wildlife products continue to flow through regional transportation hubs, driven by organized crime networks and persistent market demand for traditional medicine and exotic pets.
economics-resources
asia
vietnam
wildlife
hubs
haven
curbed
illegal
trade
routes
operating
transshipment
southeast
trafficking
global-unspecified
society-governance
african
africa
Without official birth certificates, millions of children across border regions are unable to access public healthcare, attend public schools, or obtain legal identification later in life.
health-biology
asia
myanmar
public-health
birth
haven
achieved
full
universal
registration
rural
stateless
populations
public
society-governance
global-unspecified
access
economics-resources
Unplanned urban concrete expansion combined with rising temperatures has created extreme urban heat pockets, severely threatening elderly and low-income outdoor workers without public cooling centers.
economics-resources
asia
pakistan
urban
extreme
heat
haven
protected
rapid
urbanization
zones
island
uhi
climate-environment
cities
systems
global-unspecified
water
Digital platforms and assistive devices remain cost-prohibitive or unadapted for regional languages, excluding millions of persons with disabilities from the growing digital workforce.
technology-computing
asia
philippines
disabilities
haven
developed
inclusive
tech
infrastructure
workers
developing
markets
digital
global-unspecified
african
remains
economics-resources
public
Major textile production centers generate vast amounts of fabric offcuts and synthetic water pollutants that end up in landfills or local ecosystems rather than being recycled into new textiles.
economics-resources
asia
bangladesh
textile
haven
scaled
circular
economy
models
garment
manufacturing
waste
major
climate-environment
global-unspecified
whether
water
african
Multiple competing microfinance institutions operating in rural districts frequently over-indebt low-income borrowers, forcing families to liquidate essential assets or migrate to repay interest rather than building sustainable livelihoods.
economics-resources
asia
india
rural
haven
eliminated
microfinance-induced
predatory
debt
traps
among
women
south
access
public
african
remains
urban
As secondary cities across Asia rapidly commercialize, low-income slum residents without formal title deeds face forcible evictions without fair compensation or viable alternative housing.
social-civic-problems
asia
cambodia
secondary
cities
haven
structured
legal
protections
prevent
urban
land
grabs
informal
economics-resources
african
global-unspecified
settlements
Migrant workers moving across regional trade corridors lose accrued pension contributions and social coverage when returning home, eroding long-term financial security.
economics-resources
asia
nepal
social
security
haven
created
cross-border
portability
benefits
intra-asian
economic
migrants
workers
global-unspecified
informal
technology-computing
african
Overgrazing and desertification in Central Asian steppes reduce pastoral yields, impoverishing rural herder communities who rely entirely on livestock assets.
economics-resources
asia
kazakhstan
pastoral
central
haven
established
land
degradation
neutrality
mechanisms
protect
livelihoods
rural
communities
global-unspecified
automated
farms
High real estate costs and energy requirements hinder vertical farming and aquaponics from providing cheap, fresh produce to low-income urban populations.
economics-resources
asia
japan
urban
haven
scaled
closed-loop
agriculture
architectures
densely
populated
asian
megacities
climate-environment
global-unspecified
african
cities
systems
Lead, cadmium, and mercury leach into surrounding farmland soils, contaminating staples like leafy vegetables and tubers consumed by local communities.
climate-environment
asia
china
haven
eliminated
dangerous
heavy
metal
uptake
food
crops
grown
near
waste
recovery
local
economics-resources
coastal
High transport costs prevent islanders from accessing routine screenings for diabetes, hypertension, and early-stage cancers, leading to late-stage diagnoses and preventable mortality.
health-biology
asia
philippines
haven
built
affordable
diagnostic
screening
networks
non-communicable
diseases
remote
island
communities
economics-resources
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
whether
Poor supply chain oversight allows fake antibiotics, malaria medications, and life-saving drugs to enter rural retail markets, leading to treatment failures and drug resistance.
economics-resources
asia
myanmar
supply-chain
rural
haven
solved
crisis
counterfeit
substandard
pharmaceuticals
circulating
decentralized
pharmacies
global-unspecified
health-biology
african
philosophy-ethics
High maternal mortality rates persist among ethnic minority groups due to language barriers, geographic isolation, and institutional distrust of state medical facilities.
health-biology
asia
laos
maternal
haven
integrated
culturally
sensitive
neonatal
health
services
indigenous
mountain
communities
access
economics-resources
social-civic-problems
society-governance
Ambulances in densely populated Asian urban centers face prolonged traffic delays, failing to meet critical emergency response windows for heart attacks and trauma.
health-biology
asia
indonesia
emergency
response
haven
modernised
medical
infrastructure
traffic-congested
megacities
ambulances
densely
global-unspecified
urban
african
technology-computing
economics-resources
