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
New Zealand, Oceania
Achieving nature-based solutions for coastal and riverine flood risk that support livelihoods and biodiversity 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
biodiversity
nature-based
solutions
coastal
riverine
flood
risk
support
livelihoods
integrated
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
nature
based
open
United States, North America
Achieving pathways for achieving high rates of reuse and repair of consumer products 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
north-america
united-states
achieving
pathways
high
rates
reuse
repair
consumer
products
development
meaningful
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
Achieving mechanisms for aligning the incentives of financial institutions with climate and sustainability outcomes 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
europe
poland
systems
mechanisms
aligning
incentives
financial
institutions
climate
sustainability
outcomes
field-ready
economics-resources
society-governance
ensuring
technology-computing
methods
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for technologies enabling precise monitoring of soil health and carbon stocks at farm and landscape scales. 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
asia
cambodia
solutions
technologies
enabling
precise
monitoring
soil
health
carbon
stocks
farm
systems
methods
climate-environment
scalable
governance
Achieving durable solutions for plastic and microplastic removal from ocean gyres 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
europe
portugal
durable
solutions
plastic
microplastic
removal
ocean
gyres
deployable
technologies
achieving
society-governance
economics-resources
systems
methods
ensuring
Achieving governance models for the responsible development of brain-computer interface technologies 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.
society-governance
europe
netherlands
governance
models
responsible
development
brain-computer
interface
technologies
systemic
solutions
addressing
economics-resources
systems
climate-environment
ensuring
enabling
Achieving architectural and urban designs that maximize resilience to compound climate hazards 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
asia
cambodia
architectural
urban
designs
maximize
resilience
compound
climate
hazards
practical
realization
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
Achieving interventions that close the gender gap in STEM participation in low-income settings 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
tanzania
settings
interventions
close
gender
gap
stem
participation
low-income
deployable
technologies
systems
climate-environment
society-governance
solutions
methods
Current approaches to low-energy nitrogen fixation alternatives to Haber-Bosch at farm scale 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
europe
france
systems
low-energy
nitrogen
fixation
alternatives
haber-bosch
farm
scale
field-ready
current
climate-environment
enabling
approaches
under
technology-computing
open
Mexico, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for interventions that reduce the prevalence of violence against women and children at population scale 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
north-america
mexico
interventions
reduce
prevalence
violence
against
women
children
population
scale
breakthrough
solutions
systems
climate-environment
robust
methods
open
Guatemala, North America
Achieving methods for assessing and mitigating the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage sites 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
north-america
guatemala
climate-change
methods
assessing
mitigating
impacts
climate
change
cultural
heritage
sites
breakthrough
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
solutions
open
Argentina, South America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for technologies enabling the continuous monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem function at 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
south-america
argentina
biodiversity
technologies
enabling
continuous
monitoring
ecosystem
function
scale
field-ready
systems
solutions
climate-environment
methods
scalable
governance
open
Paraguay, South America
Achieving designs for digital systems that promote human agency flourishing and collective intelligence 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.
technology-computing
south-america
paraguay
systems
designs
digital
promote
human
agency
flourishing
collective
intelligence
breakthrough
society-governance
economics-resources
climate-environment
solutions
methods
Achieving systems ensuring the integrity and accessibility of critical data and knowledge under multiple threats 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
asia
nepal
systems
ensuring
integrity
accessibility
critical
data
knowledge
under
multiple
threats
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
solutions
methods
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for technologies enabling precise and equitable delivery of agricultural inputs at smallholder 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
europe
sweden
technologies
enabling
precise
equitable
delivery
agricultural
inputs
smallholder
scale
integrated
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
climate-environment
open
Honduras, North America
Achieving nature-based solutions for drought resilience that also support biodiversity and carbon goals 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
north-america
honduras
biodiversity
nature-based
solutions
drought
resilience
also
support
carbon
goals
development
society-governance
economics-resources
systems
methods
nature
Achieving governance frameworks preventing the weaponization of emerging biotechnologies 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.
society-governance
oceania
samoa
governance
frameworks
preventing
weaponization
emerging
biotechnologies
practical
realization
achieving
meaningful
economics-resources
systems
climate-environment
solutions
ensuring
Achieving durable carbon-negative building materials from agricultural residues 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
asia
india
durable
carbon-negative
building
materials
agricultural
residues
overcoming
barriers
achieving
meaningful
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
open
Solomon Islands, Oceania
Achieving pathways for achieving universal access to quality early childhood education and care 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.
social-civic-problems
oceania
solomon-islands
achieving
pathways
universal
access
quality
early
childhood
education
care
systemic
economics-resources
systems
climate-environment
society-governance
solutions
Achieving mechanisms ensuring AI systems remain corrigible and interruptible by humans 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
systems
remain
mechanisms
ensuring
corrigible
interruptible
humans
integrated
pathways
achieving
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
solutions
designs