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.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
By the time illegal logging is discovered, the trees are often already gone and the damage is done. Real-time detection and enforcement could protect forests before, not after, they disappear.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
deforestation
illegal
time
yet
track
stop
happens
real
logging
discovered
philosophy-ethics
whether
way
society-governance
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Once powerful enough quantum computers exist, they may crack the encryption that currently protects banking, health records, and private communication. Most of the internet still isn't ready for that shift.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
computers
yet
build
fully
immune
quantum-era
code
breaking
once
powerful
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
quantum
philosophy-ethics
open
United States, North America
Thousands of pieces of space junk are already circling the planet, threatening satellites and future missions. Left unresolved, orbit could become too cluttered and risky to safely launch into.
science-space
north-america
united-states
orbit
don
have
affordable
way
remove
dangerous
debris
earth
thousands
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
agreed
open
Chile, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for methods for reducing the transmission of antimicrobial resistance through food and environmental pathways 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
south-america
chile
methods
reducing
transmission
antimicrobial
resistance
food
environmental
pathways
field-ready
systems
society-governance
barriers
designs
economics-resources
high
open
Chile, South America
Current approaches to methods for assessing the cumulative impacts of climate change and other stressors on human health 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.
climate-environment
south-america
chile
climate-change
systems
methods
assessing
cumulative
impacts
climate
change
stressors
human
society-governance
enabling
under
solutions
designs
open
South Africa, Africa
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for interventions that reduce the structural drivers of health inequities across populations 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
africa
south-africa
systems
interventions
reduce
structural
drivers
health
inequities
populations
field-ready
absence
solutions
climate-environment
methods
robust
enabling
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for architectural innovations that make high-performance buildings affordable for low-income households. 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
africa
mozambique
architectural
innovations
make
high-performance
buildings
affordable
low-income
households
field-ready
systems
solutions
methods
scalable
designs
ensuring
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for real-time monitoring systems for tracking the recovery of ecosystems after restoration interventions. 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
europe
poland
systems
real-time
monitoring
tracking
recovery
ecosystems
restoration
interventions
field-ready
persistent
solutions
climate-environment
methods
ensuring
governance
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for microbiome restoration after repeated antibiotic exposure in children. 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
asia
pakistan
microbiome
restoration
repeated
antibiotic
exposure
children
field-ready
systems
persistent
gap
solutions
methods
scalable
ensuring
governance
open
Paraguay, South America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for distributed methane leak detection and auto-mitigation systems. 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
systems
distributed
methane
leak
detection
auto-mitigation
field-ready
persistent
gap
exists
solutions
climate-environment
methods
ensuring
governance
open
Argentina, South America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for therapeutics and care models that improve outcomes for people living with multimorbidity 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
argentina
systems
therapeutics
care
models
improve
outcomes
people
living
multimorbidity
field-ready
solutions
climate-environment
governance
robust
methods
Achieving methods for restoring the carbon sequestration capacity of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems 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.
climate-environment
asia
south-korea
systems
methods
restoring
carbon
sequestration
capacity
terrestrial
coastal
ecosystems
field-ready
economics-resources
society-governance
solutions
designs
ensuring
open
New Zealand, Oceania
Current approaches to higher-order assessments valid under unrestricted AI tool access 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
new-zealand
under
systems
higher-order
assessments
valid
unrestricted
tool
access
field-ready
current
climate-environment
enabling
technology-computing
solutions
designs
open
Colombia, South America
Current approaches to biotechnologies for engineering plants that sequester more carbon in durable soil organic matter 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.
climate-environment
south-america
colombia
systems
biotechnologies
engineering
plants
sequester
carbon
durable
soil
organic
matter
society-governance
enabling
solutions
under
methods
open
Costa Rica, North America
Current approaches to nitrogen-fixing cereals productive on low-phosphorus tropical soils 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
systems
nitrogen-fixing
cereals
productive
low-phosphorus
tropical
soils
field-ready
current
approaches
climate-environment
enabling
under
designs
technology-computing
open
Chile, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for pathways for achieving high rates of energy efficiency and demand reduction in buildings and industry 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
south-america
chile
high
pathways
achieving
rates
energy
efficiency
demand
reduction
buildings
industry
systems
methods
society-governance
barriers
designs
Current approaches to methods for quantifying and reducing the environmental impacts of the digital economy 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.
technology-computing
asia
kazakhstan
systems
methods
quantifying
reducing
environmental
impacts
digital
economy
field-ready
current
society-governance
climate-environment
enabling
solutions
designs
open
Honduras, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for solutions for providing reliable electricity to health facilities in off-grid regions 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
north-america
honduras
solutions
systems
providing
reliable
electricity
health
facilities
off-grid
regions
field-ready
climate-environment
methods
enabling
robust
ensuring
open
Costa Rica, North America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for governance models for managing the risks and benefits of geoengineering research and potential deployment 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
north-america
costa-rica
models
deployment
governance
managing
risks
benefits
geoengineering
research
potential
field-ready
climate-environment
systems
methods
technology-computing
economics-resources
Achieving mechanisms for aligning the incentives of financial institutions with climate and sustainability outcomes 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.
climate-environment
europe
poland
systems
mechanisms
aligning
incentives
financial
institutions
climate
sustainability
outcomes
field-ready
economics-resources
society-governance
ensuring
technology-computing
methods