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
Low salaries, limited research funding, and weak infrastructure drive academics to migrate abroad. Diaspora-linked visiting-professor programs and research-grant platforms could strengthen retention.
social-civic-problems
africa
african
higher-education
institutions
struggle
retain
top
faculty
low
salaries
limited
global-unspecified
remains
technology-computing
society-governance
access
systems
Millions of workers in transport, delivery, and informal retail have no protection against accidents or income shocks. Micro-insurance products linked to daily transactions could extend coverage.
economics-resources
africa
products
informal
workers
insurance
african
gig-economy
participants
rare
millions
transport
settlements
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
local
climate-environment
might
Owning machinery is too expensive, and rental markets are fragmented and unreliable. Uber-style machinery-sharing platforms could increase mechanization at lower cost.
economics-resources
africa
mechanization
african
farmers
have
limited
access
services
owning
machinery
too
global-unspecified
remains
lack
technology-computing
low
urban
Diaspora members interested in supporting ventures back home struggle to find vetted opportunities. Curated diaspora investment platforms with transparent due diligence could mobilize capital.
economics-resources
africa
diaspora
investment
african
local
startups
constrained
information
trust
gaps
members
technology-computing
reducing
transfer
communities
global-unspecified
remains
Lack of formal addresses complicates delivery, emergency response, and financial inclusion. Digital addressing using GPS and community verification could solve this efficiently.
technology-computing
africa
reliable
address
systems
missing
african
cities
rural
areas
lack
formal
society-governance
digital
global-unspecified
access
urban
Complex, costly certification processes exclude many potential exporters. Shared certification centers and digital compliance tools could lower the barrier.
technology-computing
africa
certification
african
agribusinesses
struggle
meet
stringent
export
standards
complex
costly
global-unspecified
lack
digital
informal
quality
access
Minibus taxis and motorcycle cabs are central to mobility but often ignored in formal planning, causing congestion and safety issues. Data-driven integration of informal transport into city plans could improve systems.
local-regional
africa
urban-planning
planning
informal
transport
african
urban
frequently
fails
integrate
modes
minibus
systems
settlements
economics-resources
society-governance
technology-computing
Patients' data is scattered across paper files and disconnected systems, hindering continuity of care. Interoperable EMR platforms tailored to low-resource settings could improve outcomes.
health-biology
africa
systems
interoperable
african
health
lack
electronic
medical
records
patients
data
society-governance
technology-computing
global-unspecified
economics-resources
climate-environment
whether
Small workshops producing goods for local markets struggle to meet quality standards that would allow them to export or supply larger buyers. Shared testing labs and quality-training hubs could upgrade clusters.
economics-resources
africa
clusters
quality
african
informal
manufacturing
lack
access
control
certification
small
global-unspecified
remains
asia
Short-term grants limit long-term impact and organizational stability. Recurring-donation platforms and social-impact bonds could provide more stable support.
society-governance
africa
african
youth-led
civic
organizations
often
lack
sustainable
funding
short-term
grants
global-unspecified
remains
technology-computing
long
term
economics-resources
Informal miners face high accident risks and receive low prices for minerals. Training programs and fair-trade mineral certification platforms could improve safety and incomes.
economics-resources
africa
miners
african
artisanal
lack
access
safe
mining
practices
markets
informal
global-unspecified
remains
asia
urban
Budget decisions often rely on outdated or incomplete information, reducing efficiency. Simple data dashboards and training could improve resource allocation.
local-regional
africa
african
local
governments
have
limited
capacity
data-driven
budgeting
budget
decisions
society-governance
global-unspecified
data
technology-computing
mathematics-logic
whether
Researchers and entrepreneurs struggle to obtain reliable datasets for building solutions. Open-data portals with standardized formats and APIs could catalyze innovation.
society-governance
africa
access
high-quality
open
government
data
african
countries
limited
researchers
entrepreneurs
global-unspecified
solutions
technology-computing
providing
systems
Information on yields, soils, and weather sits in disconnected silos, hindering data-driven agri-tech solutions. Open agricultural data platforms could enable more effective tools.
society-governance
africa
agricultural
data
african
fragmented
inaccessible
innovators
information
yields
soils
weather
global-unspecified
technology-computing
systems
incomplete
limited
sparse
Depression and anxiety are widely underreported due to social taboos, leaving many untreated for years. Anonymous digital counseling platforms tailored to local languages could lower the barrier to seeking help.
technology-computing
asia
mental-health
seeking
mental
health
stigma
asian
cultures
prevents
people
care
depression
health-biology
global-unspecified
access
remains
african
Middlemen often exploit price information gaps, paying farmers far below market rates for crops. Simple SMS or app-based price-transparency platforms have already shown strong impact where deployed.
technology-computing
asia
farmers
market
price
information
smallholder
lack
access
real-time
middlemen
economics-resources
global-unspecified
connecting
african
fair
local-regional
whether
Crop failure, high-interest informal loans, and lack of insurance push indebted farmers into desperation. Weather-index micro-insurance and debt-restructuring platforms could ease this pressure.
economics-resources
asia
south-asia
farmer
suicides
linked
debt
remain
persistent
crisis
parts
south
african
insurance
informal
remains
global-unspecified
climate-environment
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Inheritance customs split land across generations, leaving average farm sizes shrinking below profitable thresholds. Cooperative farming models and land-pooling platforms could restore economies of scale.
economics-resources
asia
south-southeast-asia
land
fragmentation
making
farms
too
small
economically
viable
asian
countries
global-unspecified
society-governance
remain
communities
african
open
East & South Asia, Asia
Aging farming populations struggle to find workers during planting and harvest seasons, especially in East Asia. Affordable small-scale farm automation and shared-equipment rental platforms could offset labor gaps.
technology-computing
asia
east-south-asia
labor
agricultural
shortages
emerging
rural
youth
migrate
cities
aging
global-unspecified
african
economics-resources
remains
access
haven
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