World Solve

Current approaches to circular economy systems that eliminate leakage of plastics into the environment 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.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for nature-based solutions for river basin management that balance human and ecological needs 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.

Current approaches to interventions that reduce the transmission of vector-borne diseases under changing climate 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.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for solutions for providing safe dignified and sustainable livelihoods for climate-vulnerable 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.

Current approaches to methods for restoring soil biodiversity and function after intensive conventional agriculture 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.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for low-cost sensors and models for tracking plastic pollution from source to ocean 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.

Current approaches to methods for restoring the ecological function of rivers fragmented by dams and infrastructure 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.

Current approaches to technologies enabling precise monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions from individual facilities 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.

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.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for designs for digital identity systems that protect privacy while enabling service access 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.

Current approaches to institutional designs that improve the effectiveness of multi-level climate governance 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.

Current approaches to technologies for the safe and efficient recycling of advanced battery chemistries 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.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for methods for quantifying the biodiversity and carbon co-benefits of different restoration approaches 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.

Current approaches to solutions for providing reliable and affordable energy access in displacement and refugee settings 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.

Achieving affordable and scalable solutions for safe sanitation in dense urban informal settlements 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.

Long-term anxiety and depression tied to job insecurity and informal labor in Chile are poorly quantified, making it difficult for policymakers to justify investment in preventive mental health infrastructure.

Current approaches to governance frameworks for managing the dual-use risks of advanced computing and AI technologies 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.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for methods for quantifying the full social and environmental costs of different mobility systems 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.

The majority of informal-sector workers in Papua New Guinea have no access to pension savings mechanisms, leaving them financially vulnerable in old age.

Current approaches to nature-based solutions for wildfire risk reduction that also support ecosystem 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.