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
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Millions live in slums lacking secure tenure, clean water, or sanitation despite being near major urban economic centers. Incremental slum-upgrading programs are more effective and humane than demolition-based approaches.
economics-resources
asia
south-southeast-asia
informal
settlements
continue
expand
faster
formal
housing
south
southeast
asian
urban
african
global-unspecified
cities
water
Most countries in the region depend on foreign satellites for communication, weather monitoring, and navigation. Regional satellite-sharing consortiums could give smaller nations affordable access to space-based data.
science-space
asia
nations
space
satellite
technology
development
remains
limited
few
leading
asian
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
african
affordable
haven
Palm oil and timber industries clear forest at rates that threaten orangutans and other endangered species while releasing significant carbon emissions. Sustainable palm oil certification and satellite-based deforestation tracking need stronger enforcement.
climate-environment
asia
indonesia
deforestation
carbon-emissions
threaten
malaysia
continues
some
world
biodiverse
rainforests
palm
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
way
have
whether
Social stigma and weak legal enforcement discourage survivors from seeking help or justice in many communities. Anonymous reporting apps linked directly to support services have improved reporting rates where deployed.
society-governance
asia
domestic
gender-based
violence
remains
widespread
underreported
parts
reporting
social
global-unspecified
gender
based
african
whether
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
Urban planners frequently work with old census data, making it hard to allocate resources effectively for fast-changing cities. Satellite-based urban growth monitoring could provide near-real-time planning data.
economics-resources
asia
data
city-level
demographic
economic
outdated
incomplete
urban
planners
frequently
society-governance
global-unspecified
technology-computing
climate-environment
african
systems
whether
Lack of safety standards and fare regulation leaves both drivers and passengers vulnerable, while congestion worsens. App-based regulation and driver-safety certification programs could formalize this sector fairly.
society-governance
asia
informal
transport
sectors
like
auto-rickshaws
motorbike
taxis
remain
unregulated
urban
african
global-unspecified
systems
africa
lack
economics-resources
Airports in major hubs like Delhi, Manila, and Jakarta face capacity constraints that delay cargo and passenger flow. AI-based air traffic optimization and new regional airport development could ease bottlenecks.
local-regional
asia
air
traffic
logistics
congestion
rising
booming
aviation
sector
airports
african
global-unspecified
urban
cities
economics-resources
remains
climate-environment
Weak regulatory enforcement lets fake antimalarials and antibiotics reach patients, worsening drug resistance and deaths. Blockchain-based drug verification and stronger customs screening are promising solutions.
health-biology
africa
blockchain
counterfeit
substandard
medicines
circulate
widely
african
markets
drug
weak
regulatory
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
economics-resources
Banks see agriculture as too risky, leaving over 60% of African farmers without formal financing for seeds or equipment. Mobile-based micro-lending and weather-index insurance startups can fill this gap.
economics-resources
africa
farmers
insurance
smallholder
lack
access
affordable
credit
banks
see
agriculture
african
global-unspecified
climate-environment
Weak monitoring networks mean swarms are often detected only after major damage occurs. AI-based satellite tracking combined with SMS alerts to farmers could enable faster response.
science-space
africa
east-africa
locust
pest
outbreaks
regularly
devastate
crops
little
early
warning
weak
global-unspecified
climate-environment
social-civic-problems
rural
flash
Aging infrastructure and illegal connections cause massive revenue leakage for power companies, discouraging investment. Smart metering and blockchain-based billing systems could reduce losses significantly.
technology-computing
africa
blockchain
losses
grid
electricity
theft
cost
african
utilities
billions
annually
aging
systems
local-regional
society-governance
global-unspecified
transmission
Unregulated borehole drilling for agriculture and cities is drawing down aquifers faster than they recharge. Satellite-based groundwater monitoring tools could inform sustainable extraction limits.
science-space
africa
groundwater
depletion
threatens
long-term
water
security
several
regions
unregulated
borehole
climate-environment
global-unspecified
urban
asia
whether
long
Aging pipe networks and poor maintenance waste water that cities desperately need. Leak-detection sensor startups and IoT-based monitoring could recover significant volumes.
climate-environment
africa
water
cities
utilities
african
lose
over
treated
leaks
aging
pipe
global-unspecified
urban
asia
whether
systems
don
Migrant workers sending money home lose a large share to transfer fees, reducing funds available for families. Blockchain-based remittance corridors could cut costs to a fraction of current rates.
technology-computing
africa
blockchain
remittance
fees
sent
highest
any
region
migrant
workers
economics-resources
reducing
global-unspecified
transfer
diaspora
communities
countries
Logging, charcoal production, and agricultural expansion are destroying rainforest that regulates regional and global climate. Community-based forest monitoring using satellite and drone imagery could help enforce protections.
climate-environment
africa
deforestation
rates
central
west
remain
among
highest
globally
logging
global-unspecified
forest
science-space
illegal
philosophy-ethics
whether
remote
Cities like Lagos, Accra, and Dakar are losing land to erosion, threatening homes and economic infrastructure. Nature-based coastal defenses like mangrove restoration are cost-effective but underutilized.
economics-resources
africa
coastal
erosion
cities
infrastructure
rising
seas
threaten
major
african
like
climate-environment
global-unspecified
urban
systems
haven
Allegations of fraud and weak independent oversight undermine public trust in democratic transitions. Blockchain-based or biometric voter verification systems could improve election integrity.
society-governance
africa
blockchain
electoral
processes
several
african
countries
face
credibility
transparency
allegations
fraud
systems
public
technology-computing
across
global-unspecified
Weak civil registration and statistical systems make policy planning difficult, as governments often lack reliable population and economic data. Mobile-based census and survey tools could modernize data collection affordably.
society-governance
africa
data
economic
basic
demographics
activity
remains
incomplete
continent
weak
civil
systems
global-unspecified
technology-computing
whether
philosophy-ethics
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Carrington-level space weather events can destroy global electrical grids, communication satellites, and orbital stations. Advanced space-based magnetometers and AI predictive models are required for early warning systems.
science-space
global-unspecified
cannot
reliably
predict
solar
coronal
mass
ejections
breach
earth
magnetosphere
systems
climate-environment
space
weather
infrastructure
society-governance