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
10Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Marine life ingests or becomes entangled in waste. Upstream waste reduction and cleanup technologies are needed.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
plastic
debris
accumulates
oceans
coasts
waste
marine
life
ingests
becomes
systems
management
technologies
recycling
haven
growing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Higher CO2 reduces carbonate availability. Global emission cuts are the primary solution.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
ocean
acidification
threatens
shell-forming
organisms
higher
co2
reduces
carbonate
availability
society-governance
technologies
enabling
continuous
monitoring
restoration
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Logging and agriculture expand into forests. Enforcement and sustainable agriculture are needed.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
deforestation
continues
key
tropical
forest
regions
agriculture
logging
expand
forests
philosophy-ethics
illegal
whether
way
society-governance
science-space
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Species face extinction from multiple pressures. Protected areas and habitat corridors are needed.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
biodiversity
loss
accelerates
habitats
shrink
species
face
extinction
multiple
pressures
philosophy-ethics
whether
prevent
have
way
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Sprawl cuts off wildlife movement. Green infrastructure and planning can mitigate fragmentation.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
urban
expansion
fragments
natural
habitats
sprawl
cuts
off
wildlife
movement
african
cities
systems
informal
haven
planning
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Trees on farms can improve resilience and biodiversity. Extension services can promote adoption.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
biodiversity
agroforestry
opportunities
underused
trees
farms
improve
resilience
extension
services
african
remains
access
technology-computing
africa
capacity
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Glacier loss and development threaten them. Integrated mountain governance is needed.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
mountain
ecosystems
face
combined
climate
human
pressures
glacier
loss
development
society-governance
governance
communities
frameworks
mechanisms
ensuring
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Contradictory policies undermine progress. Integrated policy reviews can improve coherence.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
policy
coherence
trade
climate
development
agendas
weak
contradictory
policies
undermine
society-governance
institutional
improve
designs
arrangements
relocation
Smallholder farmers often rely on traditional knowledge rather than timely forecasts, exposing them to avoidable losses. SMS-based localized forecast services and climate advisory platforms could improve resilience.
climate-environment
africa
climate
african
agriculture
lacks
widespread
access
reliable
weather
information
smallholder
global-unspecified
society-governance
methods
improve
institutional
technology-computing
High-pressure startup environments with little support contribute to burnout and depression. Peer-support networks and confidential counseling services for founders could improve wellbeing.
climate-environment
africa
support
access
mental-health
entrepreneurs
limited
high-pressure
startup
environments
little
global-unspecified
african
remains
low
society-governance
economics-resources
lack
Extension services are understaffed and generic, ignoring microclimate and soil differences. AI-driven advisory tools using local data could increase yields.
climate-environment
africa
african
farmers
rarely
receive
tailored
agronomic
advice
extension
services
understaffed
global-unspecified
society-governance
limited
technology-computing
local
systems
Rising seas and storms may force relocation of neighborhoods, but proactive plans are rare. Scenario-based urban resilience planning and relocation frameworks are urgently needed.
climate-environment
africa
planning
african
coastal
cities
lack
robust
contingency
climate-driven
migration
relocation
global-unspecified
society-governance
governance
change
urban
systems
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Vehicle emissions, crop burning, and industrial smoke create hazardous smog seasons in cities like Delhi and Jakarta. Low-cost air-purification tech and stricter enforceable emission-trading systems are needed.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
air-pollution
air
pollution
south
southeast
asian
megacities
causes
millions
premature
deaths
global-unspecified
african
urban
cities
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Poor drainage and standing water in fast-growing cities create ideal breeding grounds, overwhelming health systems during outbreaks. AI-based outbreak prediction and community larvae-control apps could reduce case spikes.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
climate-change
dengue
mosquito-borne
diseases
surging
urbanization
climate
change
poor
drainage
cities
society-governance
water
systems
health-biology
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Flooded paddy fields release significant greenhouse gases, yet few affordable low-emission farming techniques have reached smallholders. Alternate wetting-and-drying irrigation methods need wider extension support.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
farming
rice
methane
emissions
major
but
underaddressed
climate
contributor
methods
affordable
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
Farmers burn leftover stubble to quickly clear fields for the next planting season, despite bans and health costs. Affordable stubble-collection machinery and biomass-to-energy ventures could offer alternatives.
climate-environment
asia
india
air-pollution
crop
residue
burning
worsens
seasonal
air
pollution
crises
north
global-unspecified
health
affordable
haven
health-biology
Many staple crops have not been bred for the increasing heat and erratic rainfall smallholders now face. Localized breeding programs and seed-distribution networks need faster scaling.
climate-environment
asia
smallholders
access
climate-resilient
crop
varieties
remains
limited
asian
staple
crops
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
african
whether
breeding
way
Desert climates and dwindling aquifers make traditional farming unsustainable, forcing heavy food import dependency. Advances in desalinated-water irrigation and vertical farming could improve food self-sufficiency.
climate-environment
asia
middle-east
water-scarcity
food
middle
eastern
countries
face
acute
water
scarcity
agriculture
despite
global-unspecified
farming
urban
drought
open
South & Central Asia, Asia
Melting Himalayan glaciers, overextraction, and pollution are shrinking freshwater availability faster than population growth. Efficient irrigation technology and river-basin cooperation agreements are urgently needed.
climate-environment
asia
south-central-asia
water-scarcity
water
scarcity
affects
hundreds
millions
south
central
melting
himalayan
global-unspecified
urban
african
long
whether
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