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.
4094Total
4094Open
0Solved
9Humans
Poorly regulated microfinance and cooperative institutions sometimes collapse, wiping out members' savings. Digital transparency tools and stronger regulatory oversight could protect depositors.
society-governance
asia
rural
credit
cooperatives
parts
suffer
weak
governance
mismanagement
poorly
conflict
digital
post
institutions
technology-computing
african
global-unspecified
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
Millions rely on informal waste collection and sorting for income but lack safety equipment, fair pay, or legal recognition. Formalizing waste-picker cooperatives with fair-trade recycling partnerships could improve livelihoods.
economics-resources
asia
informal
waste-picker
urban
communities
work
hazardous
unrecognized
conditions
millions
waste
settlements
african
global-unspecified
systems
formalizing
War, accidents, and disease leave many without access to mobility devices that could restore independence and employment potential. 3D-printed prosthetics ventures could lower costs dramatically.
health-biology
asia
access
prosthetics
mobility
affordable
aids
remains
limited
disabled
populations
global-unspecified
low
african
whether
philosophy-ethics
Pumping groundwater for irrigation consumes large amounts of electricity, creating a compounding resource strain in water-and-energy-scarce regions. Solar-powered efficient irrigation pumps could reduce both water and energy waste simultaneously.
climate-environment
asia
south-asia
waste
water-energy
nexus
inefficiencies
significant
resources
asian
agriculture
industry
irrigation
global-unspecified
urban
whether
water
african
Secondary cities often have no real-time air-quality data, leaving residents unaware of health risks on high-pollution days. Low-cost sensor networks could extend monitoring coverage affordably.
climate-environment
asia
monitoring
networks
cities
urban
air
quality
remain
sparse
outside
major
global-unspecified
african
society-governance
systems
water
Families facing crises often pull children from school first, disrupting education continuity for the most vulnerable. Emergency cash-transfer programs tied to school attendance could protect continuity during shocks.
social-civic-problems
asia
school
during
shocks
dropout
rates
spike
natural
disasters
economic
parts
global-unspecified
education
children
girls
african
access
open
Southeast Asia, Asia
Rising seas and stronger storms threaten to permanently displace communities that have lived in coastal areas for generations. Managed relocation planning and resilient livelihood diversification programs are urgently needed.
climate-environment
asia
southeast-asia
coastal
communities
small
island
southeast
face
growing
climate
displacement
economics-resources
global-unspecified
fishing
remote
african
As mobile money adoption accelerates, many new users lack understanding of digital fraud risks and responsible borrowing. Simple, localized financial-literacy content delivered via mobile apps could reduce financial harm.
technology-computing
asia
digital
financial
literacy
remains
low
among
newly
banked
populations
rural
global-unspecified
african
social-civic-problems
access
africa
Dense, unregulated markets are prone to fires and disease outbreaks due to poor infrastructure investment. Public-private partnerships to formalize market infrastructure could improve safety without displacing vendors.
health-biology
asia
infrastructure
markets
urban
informal
lack
basic
sanitation
fire-safety
dense
african
global-unspecified
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
economics-resources
technology-computing
Students and workers often face difficulty having degrees or certifications recognized when moving between Asian countries. Regional credential-recognition frameworks could ease labor mobility and study-abroad access.
social-civic-problems
asia
regional
integration
higher
education
credentials
remains
weak
students
workers
global-unspecified
african
access
local-regional
haven
africa
economics-resources
Many SMEs adopt digital payment and e-commerce tools without understanding basic security practices, exposing them to fraud. Simple, affordable cybersecurity training programs tailored for small businesses could reduce losses.
technology-computing
asia
cybersecurity
small
businesses
digital
awareness
among
growing
economy
remains
global-unspecified
african
low
whether
open
South & Central Asia, Asia
Many households still burn solid fuels indoors for cooking and heating, causing significant respiratory illness, especially among women and children. Clean cookstove distribution programs need continued scaling and subsidy support.
climate-environment
asia
south-central-asia
cooking
heating
air
quality
inside
homes
indoor
remains
major
health
global-unspecified
african
access
health-biology
pollution
Aquatic ecosystems that once supported fisheries and clean water now suffer from decades of unchecked industrial and agricultural runoff. Bioremediation research and stricter pollution-discharge enforcement are needed.
climate-environment
asia
river
lake
ecosystem
restoration
lags
behind
pollution
rates
industrializing
parts
global-unspecified
industrial
whether
philosophy-ethics
water
african
Governments and businesses often absorb disaster costs directly due to lack of accessible catastrophe insurance products. Regional catastrophe bonds and pooled insurance mechanisms could spread and reduce this risk.
climate-environment
asia
insurance
regional
disaster
risk
markets
remain
underdeveloped
despite
high
climate
global-unspecified
african
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
Renters in informal settlements have little recourse against unfair eviction or unsafe conditions due to absent legal frameworks. Simple digital rental-agreement templates and dispute-resolution hotlines could improve tenant protections.
social-civic-problems
asia
informal
legal
protections
urban
housing
markets
often
lack
any
settlements
economics-resources
global-unspecified
society-governance
african
technology-computing
digital
Rapid expansion of fish farming to meet protein demand has led to water pollution and frequent disease die-offs that hurt small farmers. Better aquaculture management training and disease-monitoring tools could improve sustainability.
health-biology
asia
aquaculture
sustainability
disease
freshwater
faces
overcrowding
outbreaks
rapid
expansion
climate-environment
global-unspecified
whether
non
water
mathematics-logic
african
open
Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
Resistance to insecticides and antimalarial drugs is rising, and many rural clinics lack rapid diagnostic tools. Better low-cost diagnostics, vaccines with longer efficacy, and resistance-tracking data platforms are urgently needed.
health-biology
africa
sub-saharan-africa
malaria
kills
over
200
000
africans
year
despite
decades
intervention
global-unspecified
african
data
society-governance
lack
open
Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
Most deaths are preventable but occur due to lack of skilled birth attendants, blood banks, and emergency transport in rural areas. Builders could create low-cost obstetric emergency referral networks using mobile alerts.
economics-resources
africa
sub-saharan-africa
maternal
mortality
remains
highest
any
region
emergency
deaths
preventable
rural
global-unspecified
african
access
public
urban
open
Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
Stockouts of antiretrovirals are common due to weak logistics and donor dependency. Local manufacturing and predictive supply-chain software could reduce treatment interruptions.
technology-computing
africa
sub-saharan-africa
supply-chain
carries
world
hiv
burden
but
drug
supply
chains
remain
global-unspecified
economics-resources
african
whether
health-biology
