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
Achieving decentralized identity resistant to state and AI-generated forgery at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
asia
china
systems
decentralized
identity
resistant
state
ai-generated
forgery
field-ready
achieving
meaningful
climate-environment
society-governance
technology-computing
methods
designs
open
Brazil, South America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for design principles for digital public services that remain inclusive of low-literacy users. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
south-america
brazil
remain
design
principles
digital
public
services
inclusive
low-literacy
users
deployable
solutions
systems
scalable
methods
governance
open
Paraguay, South America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for robust methods for measuring and improving subjective well-being at population scale. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
south-america
paraguay
scalable
solutions
robust
methods
measuring
improving
subjective
well-being
population
scale
systems
climate-environment
enabling
governance
technologies
Achieving architectural and urban designs that maximize cooling and minimize energy under heat extremes at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
asia
bangladesh
architectural
urban
designs
maximize
cooling
minimize
energy
under
heat
extremes
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
solutions
methods
open
Colombia, South America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for biotechnologies enabling plants to thrive under elevated CO2 salinity and heat stress 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.
society-governance
south-america
colombia
solutions
biotechnologies
enabling
plants
thrive
under
elevated
co2
salinity
heat
systems
climate-environment
methods
technologies
robust
open
South Africa, Africa
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for open standards for interoperable climate and biodiversity monitoring data are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
africa
south-africa
biodiversity
open
standards
interoperable
climate
monitoring
data
systemic
solutions
addressing
methods
systems
society-governance
technology-computing
barriers
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for evidence frameworks for sequencing post-conflict institutional recovery are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
society-governance
asia
thailand
evidence
frameworks
sequencing
post-conflict
institutional
recovery
integrated
pathways
despite
recognition
climate-environment
methods
systems
barriers
designs
open
Mexico, North America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for technologies for selective removal of persistent organic pollutants from water bodies are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
north-america
mexico
methods
technologies
selective
removal
persistent
organic
pollutants
water
bodies
robust
society-governance
systems
enabling
barriers
designs
Current approaches to designs for energy systems that remain functional during multi-day extreme weather events either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
society-governance
oceania
fiji
systems
designs
energy
remain
functional
during
multi-day
extreme
weather
events
climate-environment
technology-computing
solutions
enabling
under
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for methods for assessing and mitigating the risks of advanced AI systems before deployment 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.
society-governance
oceania
samoa
methods
risks
systems
robust
assessing
mitigating
advanced
deployment
enabling
absence
solutions
climate-environment
governance
ensuring
real
Achieving high-temperature stable thermoelectrics with ZT above 3 at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
africa
uganda
high-temperature
stable
thermoelectrics
above
development
achieving
meaningful
scale
demands
simultaneous
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
open
Costa Rica, North America
Current approaches to interventions that reduce the burden of infectious diseases through environmental and behavioral action either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
health-biology
north-america
costa-rica
infectious-disease
interventions
reduce
burden
infectious
diseases
environmental
behavioral
action
deployable
technologies
society-governance
systems
climate-environment
enabling
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for institutional designs for managing the global commons of the high seas and outer space 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.
society-governance
asia
thailand
solutions
institutional
designs
managing
commons
high
seas
outer
space
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
robust
governance
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for biotechnologies enabling the production of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals from renewable feedstocks are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
europe
poland
biotechnologies
enabling
production
pharmaceuticals
fine
chemicals
renewable
feedstocks
deployable
technologies
methods
systems
society-governance
barriers
high
open
Costa Rica, North America
Current approaches to therapies that extend healthspan by targeting fundamental aging processes either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
society-governance
north-america
costa-rica
therapies
extend
healthspan
targeting
fundamental
aging
processes
overcoming
barriers
current
systems
climate-environment
enabling
approaches
under
Achieving technologies enabling continuous non-invasive monitoring of multiple physiological parameters at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
mathematics-logic
oceania
samoa
technologies
enabling
continuous
non-invasive
monitoring
multiple
physiological
parameters
scalable
solutions
economics-resources
society-governance
climate-environment
systems
methods
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for materials and processes for recycling complex multi-material products at high purity 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.
society-governance
europe
spain
systems
materials
processes
recycling
complex
multi-material
products
high
purity
field-ready
solutions
climate-environment
enabling
robust
methods
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for mechanisms for ensuring that climate finance is additional to existing development assistance 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.
climate-environment
oceania
samoa
mechanisms
ensuring
climate
finance
additional
existing
development
assistance
overcoming
barriers
society-governance
systems
solutions
methods
governance
open
Solomon Islands, Oceania
Current approaches to planetary protection detection for forward and backward contamination either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
local-regional
oceania
solomon-islands
planetary
protection
detection
forward
backward
contamination
practical
realization
current
approaches
society-governance
systems
climate-environment
enabling
under
Achieving ambient-pressure room-temperature superconducting materials at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
africa
rwanda
ambient-pressure
room-temperature
superconducting
materials
integrated
pathways
achieving
meaningful
scale
demands
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
