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
Asia operates hundreds of young, high-emitting coal plants protected by long-term power purchase agreements. Early retirement initiatives face severe financial losses and political resistance from domestic energy sectors.
health-biology
asia
indonesia
financial
power
plants
early
haven
created
workable
transition
mechanisms
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
way
open
United Arab Emirates, Asia
Thermal and reverse-osmosis desalination across West Asian coastal regions consumes immense fossil fuel resources and discharges hypersaline brine back into marine ecosystems, harming coral reefs.
climate-environment
asia
united-arab-emirates
renewable-energy
desalination
west
asian
haven
developed
affordable
tech
powered
renewable
energy
brine
ocean
governance
global-unspecified
Archipelagic island communities rely almost exclusively on imported, highly polluting diesel generators for power, making electricity prices exorbitantly high and vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
local-regional
asia
maldives
renewable-energy
supply-chain
island
haven
built
decentralized
off-grid
renewable
energy
grids
remote
provinces
communities
economics-resources
climate-environment
Aging low-voltage power lines lose up to 25% of generated electricity during transmission across vast rural distances before reaching households.
local-regional
asia
kyrgyzstan
transmission
rural
lines
haven
eliminated
technical
losses
cross-country
distribution
aging
access
grid
african
urban
remains
Inland freshwater fishermen lose significant portions of their daily catch due to lack of localized ice plants and affordable off-grid refrigeration.
climate-environment
asia
laos
affordable
inland
haven
developed
solar-powered
cold
storage
solutions
smallholder
fisheries
scalable
global-unspecified
whether
society-governance
philosophy-ethics
Developing Asian power grids are rapidly modernizing with digital telemetry but lack unified cybersecurity standards, exposing them to prolonged cyber grid shutdowns.
technology-computing
asia
malaysia
cybersecurity
power
grid
haven
established
regional
defenses
protect
critical
infrastructure
global-unspecified
whether
climate-environment
african
local-regional
open
United Arab Emirates, Asia
Extensive glass and concrete urban architecture in Gulf cities amplifies localized heat, driving unsustainable peak air conditioning power demand.
climate-environment
asia
united-arab-emirates
urban
heat
cities
haven
prevented
islands
accelerating
cooling
energy
consumption
global-unspecified
african
water
systems
Frequent power outages degrade essential biological medications in remote clinics, leading to compromised immunization programs.
mathematics-logic
asia
myanmar
haven
developed
scalable
cold-storage
logistics
insulin
temperature-sensitive
vaccines
off-grid
rural
local-regional
health-biology
african
global-unspecified
remains
Frequent regional power shortages cut off electricity to rural operating rooms and ICU units without automatic solar-battery fail-safes.
local-regional
africa
nigeria
rural
haven
integrated
local
microgrids
smart
load
shedding
protect
hospitals
economics-resources
access
remains
african
public
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some former officials effectively become immune to prosecution once they leave power, either through legal loopholes or political reluctance to pursue former leaders. This can weaken accountability for abuses of power at the very top.
society-governance
global-unspecified
former
legal
leaders
countries
lack
clear
process
holding
accountable
actions
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
have
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Software that predicts where crime might occur or who might commit it is being adopted by police departments with little independent oversight of its accuracy or fairness. This leaves significant power in tools that haven't been thoroughly vetted for bias.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
tools
there
widely
accepted
framework
governments
regulate
own
predictive
policing
society-governance
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
haven
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When judges' careers, safety, or institutional funding depend on staying in the government's good graces, their ability to rule impartially against powerful officials can be compromised. Protecting judicial independence from this kind of pressure remains an ongoing struggle.
society-governance
global-unspecified
pressure
ability
rule
against
government
constitutional
courts
some
countries
face
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
local
improving
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some high offices have strict term limits while others, sometimes in the same country, have none at all, allowing certain officials to accumulate power for decades. This inconsistency undermines the broader principle term limits are meant to protect.
society-governance
global-unspecified
term
limits
officials
power
judges
top
applied
inconsistently
entrenched
remains
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
haven
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
International bodies can investigate and condemn abuses, but enforcement mechanisms are weak, especially against powerful countries that can block action through alliances or veto power. This leaves accountability inconsistent and often politically selective.
society-governance
global-unspecified
there
reliable
system
holding
governments
accountable
mass
human
rights
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
have
haven
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Surveillance capabilities have expanded rapidly, but the oversight meant to prevent abuse often lags behind, staffed by bodies with limited authority or access. This leaves citizens with little real assurance surveillance powers aren't being misused.
society-governance
global-unspecified
surveillance
oversight
bodies
real
countries
lack
independent
power
review
government
without
mass
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As populations shift toward cities, rural areas can be left with proportionally less political power even though they still depend heavily on government services like roads and healthcare access. Balancing this representation gap remains an unresolved tension in many democracies.
society-governance
global-unspecified
rural
less
political
representation
regions
countries
have
far
relative
needs
whether
philosophy-ethics
access
determine
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When election results are close or contested, some countries have no clear, agreed procedure for resolving the dispute short of prolonged conflict or unrest. This leaves democratic transitions vulnerable at exactly their most sensitive moment.
society-governance
global-unspecified
countries
clear
election
lack
legal
process
peacefully
transferring
power
disputed
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some leaders who were initially bound by term limits have successfully changed laws or constitutions to stay in power far longer than originally intended. This weakens one of democracy's basic safeguards against entrenched rule.
society-governance
global-unspecified
leaders
term
limits
power
political
inconsistently
applied
sometimes
removed
once
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Politicians in charge of drawing district boundaries can shape them to protect their own party's power rather than reflect the actual population. This practice, often called gerrymandering, distorts the link between votes and representation.
local-regional
global-unspecified
party
redrawing
electoral
districts
places
unfairly
favor
political
politicians
charge
society-governance
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
resolved
representation
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When the people appointing or removing judges are the same people those judges might need to rule against, fair trials involving powerful officials become far less likely. This weakens the separation of powers meant to keep governments in check.
society-governance
global-unspecified
judges
judicial
independence
remains
fragile
countries
removed
political
leaders
people
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
determine
resolved
know