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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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4094Open
0Solved
9Humans
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
Graduates often hold certificates that employers don't value, while industries report shortages of specific technical skills. Employer-linked apprenticeship and skills-matching platforms could close this mismatch.
technology-computing
asia
vocational
training
remains
disconnected
actual
job
market
demand
graduates
economics-resources
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
way
open
South & Central Asia, Asia
Girls in some regions face early dropout due to safety concerns, marriage pressure, or lack of female teachers. Girls-only transport programs and female-teacher recruitment incentives can improve retention.
social-civic-problems
asia
south-central-asia
gender
gaps
education
persist
parts
south
central
girls
some
global-unspecified
african
remains
access
rural
Urban private schools vastly outperform rural public schools in resources and outcomes, deepening long-term inequality. Digital learning platforms optimized for low-bandwidth rural connections could help level the field.
technology-computing
asia
rural-urban
disparities
school
quality
remain
stark
schools
rural
urban
access
social-civic-problems
remains
african
digital
global-unspecified
economics-resources
Lack of trained teachers and computer labs keeps rural students from developing skills needed for tech careers. Mobile coding labs and free online curricula in local languages could expand access.
social-civic-problems
asia
coding
students
stem
education
remains
inaccessible
outside
major
asian
cities
access
global-unspecified
african
rural
low
africa
Overproduction of certain degree holders, like general arts graduates, leaves many educated youth unemployed or underemployed. Career-guidance platforms using labor-market data could steer students toward in-demand fields.
economics-resources
asia
youth
several
asian
countries
face
severe
mismatch
between
degrees
earned
global-unspecified
africa
remains
low
young
unemployment
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Poverty forces families to send children to work instead of school, particularly in informal manufacturing and agriculture sectors. Conditional cash-transfer programs tied to school attendance have proven effective at reducing this.
economics-resources
asia
south-southeast-asia
school
children
child
labor
continues
keep
millions
asian
out
poverty
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
education
girls
remain
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
Conflict-displaced populations, such as Rohingya refugees, frequently live for years without structured schooling options. Modular, portable classroom programs designed for refugee camps could restore learning continuity.
social-civic-problems
asia
south-southeast-asia
refugee
displaced
children
parts
often
lack
any
access
formal
global-unspecified
education
african
low
remains
