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
Rapid urban growth in Indonesia has produced large informal settlements lacking basic infrastructure, and in-place upgrading approaches remain rare compared to displacement-driven redevelopment models.
society-governance
asia
indonesia
upgrading
informal
settlements
displacing
residents
rapid
urban
growth
has
economics-resources
systems
without
digital
open
United States, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for scalable interventions improving executive function after chronic 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
north-america
united-states
scalable
solutions
interventions
improving
executive
function
chronic
stress
absence
robust
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
ensuring
open
Papua New Guinea, Oceania
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for governance frameworks for the ethical development and deployment of human enhancement technologies 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
papua-new-guinea
governance
human
solutions
frameworks
ethical
development
deployment
enhancement
technologies
scalable
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
ensuring
open
Solomon Islands, Oceania
Current approaches to biotechnologies enabling the production of high-value materials from captured carbon dioxide 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
oceania
solomon-islands
enabling
biotechnologies
production
high-value
materials
captured
carbon
dioxide
systemic
solutions
society-governance
systems
approaches
technologies
methods
Current approaches to real-time digital twins of entire river basins for adaptive management 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
thailand
real-time
digital
twins
entire
river
basins
adaptive
management
integrated
pathways
society-governance
systems
climate-environment
enabling
approaches
open
Colombia, South America
Current approaches to housing and land systems that prevent displacement during climate-driven migration 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.
social-civic-problems
south-america
colombia
systems
housing
land
prevent
displacement
during
climate-driven
migration
practical
realization
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
enabling
under
Current approaches to interventions that improve the quality and equity of primary healthcare delivery 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
europe
spain
equity
interventions
improve
quality
primary
healthcare
delivery
scalable
solutions
current
systems
climate-environment
enabling
approaches
under
Create conservation and restoration approaches that protect biodiversity while sustaining the people whose food, income, and culture depend on those ecosystems. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
economics-resources
africa
nigeria
biodiversity
ecosystems
informal
settlements
protection
supporting
local
livelihoods
create
conservation
restoration
communities
society-governance
public
social-civic-problems
Develop practical data collection, modeling, public deliberation, and evaluation tools for decisions currently made with incomplete or inaccessible evidence. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
society-governance
africa
nigeria
evidence
decisions
informal
settlements
local
difficult
policy
develop
practical
data
economics-resources
communities
public
worker
Create safe, economically viable collection, sorting, repair, reuse, and material-recovery systems suited to decentralized local markets. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
economics-resources
africa
nigeria
local
informal
settlements
circular
recovery
overlooked
waste
streams
create
safe
society-governance
communities
might
actors
public
Develop enforceable, worker-centered protections for safety, pay, benefits, bargaining, and grievance resolution outside conventional employment. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
economics-resources
africa
nigeria
informal
settlements
worker
protection
fragmented
economies
develop
enforceable
worker-centered
protections
communities
society-governance
public
social-civic-problems
remote
Build affordable monitoring and response systems that identify local environmental threats before they become chronic public-health crises. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
health-biology
africa
nigeria
mental-health
environmental
informal
settlements
early
detection
health
hazards
build
affordable
monitoring
economics-resources
society-governance
communities
public
Create accountable methods for prioritizing limited water, housing, health, energy, and social-protection resources without reinforcing local inequality. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
social-civic-problems
africa
nigeria
resources
informal
settlements
transparent
allocation
scarce
public
create
accountable
methods
economics-resources
society-governance
communities
worker
protection
Develop local skills, spare-parts access, inspection methods, and financing so public infrastructure continues functioning after installation. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
economics-resources
africa
nigeria
public
informal
settlements
safe
maintenance
essential
assets
develop
local
skills
society-governance
communities
social-civic-problems
worker
Create transparent financial mechanisms that help households and local institutions prepare for recurrent shocks before emergency aid is needed. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
economics-resources
africa
nigeria
informal
settlements
community-scale
climate-risk
financing
institutions
create
transparent
financial
mechanisms
society-governance
communities
public
social-civic-problems
local
Develop offline-capable, multilingual, trusted systems for issuing alerts, gathering local conditions, and coordinating response when normal communications fail. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
society-governance
africa
nigeria
informal
settlements
reliable
last-mile
emergency
communication
develop
offline-capable
multilingual
trusted
economics-resources
communities
public
local
worker
Develop practical biomonitoring and exposure assessment for workers in recycling, dyeing, tanning, metalwork, and small manufacturing.
economics-resources
asia
india
exposure
detecting
toxic
informal
industrial
work
develop
practical
biomonitoring
assessment
climate-environment
workers
waste
global-unspecified
african
Create interoperable authentication systems for disaster alerts delivered through mobile networks, radio, social platforms, and public displays.
society-governance
asia
japan
alerts
verifying
emergency
against
spoofing
misinformation
create
interoperable
authentication
systems
public
technology-computing
reliable
global-unspecified
quantum
Develop early intervention, platform accountability, youth support, and research methods that reduce recruitment without criminalizing vulnerable communities.
economics-resources
recruitment
preventing
online
violent
exploitation
networks
develop
early
intervention
platform
safe
low
social-civic-problems
communities
quantum
public
Develop detection, enforcement, platform, customs, and demand-reduction systems for illegal wildlife sales shifting into encrypted and cross-border digital channels.
economics-resources
wildlife
reducing
trade
risks
online
marketplaces
develop
detection
enforcement
platform
systems
society-governance
technology-computing
digital
corruption
resilient
global-unspecified