World Solve

Rising seas and stronger storms are eroding coastlines faster than in the past, threatening homes and infrastructure built near the water. Affordable, effective protection methods remain limited outside of wealthy coastal areas.

A large enough solar storm could damage transformers and electronics across entire continents, and current models can't precisely predict which systems would fail. Better modeling could guide smarter infrastructure protection investment.

Solar storms and radiation slowly degrade satellite electronics, shortening their working life and risking sudden failures. Better shielding could extend satellite lifespans and reduce costly replacements.

A severe solar storm could knock out satellites, GPS, and even electrical grids with little warning. Better prediction would give critical infrastructure time to prepare or shut down safely.

Mangroves protect coastlines from storms and support rich ecosystems, but they continue to be cleared for development faster than restoration efforts can replace them. Speeding up restoration while slowing clearance remains unresolved.

Many cities' stormwater systems combine sewage and rainwater runoff, and heavy storms can cause this combined overflow to discharge untreated into nearby waterways. Fully separating and managing this runoff remains a costly, unresolved infrastructure challenge.

Coastal dunes provide a natural barrier against storm surges, but development and recreational use continue to erode them faster than they can naturally rebuild. Protecting these ecosystems remains an underappreciated but unresolved coastal resilience challenge.

Paved surfaces send rainwater rushing into drains that quickly overflow during storms, instead of letting it soak into the ground. Cities designed to absorb water naturally would suffer far less flood damage.

Hurricanes and tornadoes can still shift path or intensity with little warning, leaving communities scrambling to evacuate. More precise, longer-range forecasting could save lives and billions in property damage every year.

Fast-growing cities in Colombia regularly flood due to undersized or absent stormwater infrastructure, with retrofit costs far exceeding current municipal budgets.

Urban drainage infrastructure in Yemen was designed for historical rainfall patterns and now floods regularly under intensified storms, with no funded plan for systemic upgrade.

Build financial protection for recurrent floods, crop losses, storms, and heat events that are individually too small for aid but cumulatively devastating.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for nature-based solutions for urban stormwater that also enhance biodiversity and amenity creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.