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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.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
Rising automation and shifting global supply chains threaten the labor-intensive manufacturing jobs many economies rely on. Reskilling programs and diversification into services and technology sectors are needed.
economics-resources
asia
supply-chain
economies
automation
manufacturing-dependent
asian
face
disruption
risk
reshoring
trends
rising
global-unspecified
technology-computing
african
whether
displacement
Traditional family-based elder support is eroding as smaller family sizes and urban migration become the norm. Portable, government-backed pension expansion is urgently needed to prevent old-age poverty.
society-governance
asia
east-asia
poverty
family
support
elderly
rising
east
asian
countries
shrinking
networks
systems
economics-resources
global-unspecified
african
pension
Cities are growing faster than governments can build roads, utilities, and housing, leading to chronic service shortfalls. Incremental, modular urban planning approaches could help cities adapt more affordably.
society-governance
asia
urban-planning
cities
planning
rapid
unplanned
urbanization
outpacing
infrastructure
asian
growing
faster
urban
climate-environment
african
global-unspecified
systems
Rapid construction is consuming parks and open land, reducing residents' access to recreation and worsening urban heat. Green-corridor urban planning policies could preserve livability as cities expand.
science-space
asia
urban-planning
cities
public
green
space
shrinking
densely
built
asian
urban
rapid
climate-environment
african
global-unspecified
society-governance
systems
Constant traffic and construction noise in megacities contributes to stress and hearing damage but receives little regulatory attention. Urban noise-mapping tools could inform targeted mitigation policies.
health-biology
asia
public-health
noise
pollution
dense
asian
cities
underrecognized
public
health
constant
traffic
climate-environment
global-unspecified
african
urban
water
Limited agricultural land near dense cities increases reliance on imports, raising vulnerability to supply disruptions. Vertical farming and urban agriculture ventures could improve local food resilience.
economics-resources
asia
food-security
urban
food
dense
security
increasingly
risk
land-scarce
asian
city-states
metros
climate-environment
global-unspecified
african
cities
water
Treated wastewater is rarely reused for non-potable purposes despite growing water stress in many urban areas. Decentralized greywater recycling systems for buildings could meaningfully cut freshwater demand.
climate-environment
asia
urban
water
recycling
reuse
infrastructure
remains
underdeveloped
asian
cities
treated
global-unspecified
african
systems
haven
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
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
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
While calorie intake has stabilized in many Asian urban centers, access to nutrient-dense fresh food remains unaffordable for low-income residents, resulting in persistent stunting, anemia, and hidden hunger among young children.
health-biology
asia
pakistan
among
urban
haven
eliminated
micronutrient
malnutrition
slum
populations
rapidly
expanding
global-unspecified
african
economics-resources
whether
access
Deep social stigma, severe shortages of qualified psychiatric professionals, and centralized medical infrastructure leave hundreds of millions of rural residents without access to mental health diagnosis or intervention.
health-biology
asia
indonesia
mental-health
mental
rural
haven
established
adequate
healthcare
frameworks
tailored
low-resource
asian
access
health
remains
global-unspecified
Seasonal crop burning, industrial emissions, and vehicle exhaust generate high concentrations of PM2.5 across the Indo-Gangetic Plain, shaving years off average life expectancy without unified cross-border environmental governance.
climate-environment
asia
nepal
air-pollution
haven
effectively
mitigated
life-shortening
particulate
air
pollution
major
south
asian
global-unspecified
quality
urban
african
Rapid installation of solar and wind capacity in countries like Vietnam and India frequently faces grid curtailment because high-voltage transmission lines and grid-scale battery storage are insufficiently developed.
climate-environment
asia
india
developed
grid
haven
scalable
architectures
integrate
intermittent
renewable
power
aging
global-unspecified
solar
energy
local-regional
whether
Millions of delivery drivers and ride-hailing workers in South and Southeast Asia operate without employment benefits, workplace injury compensation, or collective bargaining rights, leaving them economically precarious.
economics-resources
asia
indonesia
workers
haven
established
labor
protections
gig
economy
platform
fast-growing
asian
informal
african
global-unspecified
worker
Migrant laborers moving between South/Southeast Asia and Gulf/East Asian nations often incur exorbitant debt to recruit agencies, exposing them to forced labor conditions and wage theft without reliable legal remedies.
social-civic-problems
asia
sri-lanka
migrant
debt
haven
created
safe
migration
frameworks
protect
cross-border
workers
global-unspecified
african
economics-resources
technology-computing
informal
Bridges, ports, and power stations across island nations are built with conventional standards that fail during combined seismic events, storm surges, and landslides, cutting off entire island populations from emergency relief.
climate-environment
asia
philippines
haven
created
modular
infrastructure
capable
withstanding
compound
disaster
hazards
pacific-asian
island
remote
communities
economics-resources
philosophy-ethics
While advanced manufacturing is concentrated in East Asia, neighboring developing economies remain trapped in low-margin raw material extraction and low-skilled assembly without technology transfer or capacity building.
economics-resources
asia
thailand
supply-chain
developing
economies
haven
built
equitable
semiconductor
supply
chains
distribute
technical
access
global-unspecified
asian
manufacturing
Millions of informal recyclers form the backbone of Asian urban waste processing, yet they work under dangerous, toxic conditions without official recognition, equipment, or social safety protections.
local-regional
asia
india
waste-management
waste
informal
haven
integrated
pickers
modern
municipal
solid
management
systems
climate-environment
society-governance
economics-resources
global-unspecified