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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
Upstream dam-building by some nations threatens downstream water security for millions in neighboring countries. Data-sharing treaties and joint hydrological monitoring platforms could reduce conflict risk.
mathematics-logic
asia
risk
transboundary
river
disputes
over
indus
mekong
brahmaputra
regional
tension
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
determine
climate-environment
Cities like Karachi, Dhaka, and Chennai face chronic shortages and rely heavily on costly tanker deliveries. Rainwater harvesting mandates and leak-reduction technology could ease urban water stress.
climate-environment
asia
south-asia
urban
water
systems
south
asian
megacities
cannot
keep
pace
population
cities
african
global-unspecified
heat
haven
Naturally occurring contaminants in aquifers in Bangladesh and parts of India cause long-term health damage when consumed untreated. Affordable household filtration technology needs wider distribution.
climate-environment
asia
india
arsenic
fluoride
contamination
groundwater
poisons
millions
south
naturally
occurring
global-unspecified
removing
health-biology
remains
Rivers originating from the Himalayas feed major agricultural regions across Asia, and their flow patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable. Better glacier-monitoring satellite systems could improve long-term water planning.
science-space
asia
long-term
water
melting
himalayan
glaciers
threaten
supply
nearly
billion
people
climate-environment
systems
global-unspecified
long
urban
whether
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Poor drainage infrastructure and unplanned urban growth in flood-prone areas worsen the damage each year. Predictive flood-modeling tools and resilient housing design could reduce displacement.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
flooding
monsoon
rains
cyclones
displaces
millions
south
southeast
annually
urban
global-unspecified
african
cities
infrastructure
remains
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Untreated factory effluent and sewage flow directly into major rivers, harming both ecosystems and communities that depend on them for drinking water. River-cleanup technology paired with stricter enforcement is needed.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
rivers
industrial
pollution
has
severely
degraded
like
ganges
citarum
untreated
water
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
whether
urban
Open defecation persists in some regions despite large public sanitation campaigns, contributing to disease spread. Low-cost decentralized toilet and sludge-treatment systems could close remaining gaps.
health-biology
asia
south-asia
sanitation
coverage
remains
incomplete
rural
parts
south
open
defecation
global-unspecified
society-governance
public
systems
african
access
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
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Remote and mountainous areas remain costly to connect to national grids, leaving villages without reliable power. Off-grid solar mini-grids tailored to difficult terrain could close this gap faster.
local-regional
asia
south-southeast-asia
rural
electrification
gaps
persist
parts
south
southeast
remote
mountainous
remains
access
african
global-unspecified
digital
infrastructure
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
Slum residents often rely on illegal, unsafe electricity connections due to lack of formal grid access. Pay-as-you-go solar kits designed for dense urban informal housing could offer safer alternatives.
social-civic-problems
asia
access
informal
urban
energy
settlements
asian
megacities
remains
inconsistent
slum
global-unspecified
african
economics-resources
society-governance
systems
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
Overcrowded classrooms, underpaid teachers, and pandemic-era learning loss have left millions behind grade level. Structured foundational literacy programs paired with teacher coaching apps have shown strong results.
social-civic-problems
asia
south-asia
learning
poverty
widespread
south
children
cannot
read
age
have
global-unspecified
low
access
african
philosophy-ethics
whether
