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
Many rely on outdated equipment and limited funding, missing chances to engage youth via online channels. Low-cost digital broadcasting tools and training could modernize community media.
technology-computing
africa
community
african
radio
stations
struggle
digitize
reach
younger
audiences
rely
global-unspecified
access
digital
remains
lack
low
Short-term grants limit long-term impact and organizational stability. Recurring-donation platforms and social-impact bonds could provide more stable support.
society-governance
africa
african
youth-led
civic
organizations
often
lack
sustainable
funding
short-term
grants
global-unspecified
remains
technology-computing
long
term
economics-resources
Budget decisions often rely on outdated or incomplete information, reducing efficiency. Simple data dashboards and training could improve resource allocation.
local-regional
africa
african
local
governments
have
limited
capacity
data-driven
budgeting
budget
decisions
society-governance
global-unspecified
data
technology-computing
mathematics-logic
whether
Sparse populations and poor roads make rural delivery expensive, limiting e-commerce expansion beyond cities. Shared rural delivery hubs and route-optimization software could reduce costs.
technology-computing
africa
delivery
rural
costs
african
logistics
startups
face
high
last-mile
low-density
economics-resources
access
remains
public
urban
global-unspecified
Drug-resistant TB strains are spreading faster than diagnostic capacity in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Portable AI-assisted chest X-ray screening and better contact-tracing apps could catch cases earlier.
health-biology
asia
india
tuberculosis
diagnostic-capacity
south
carries
world
highest
burdens
drug-resistant
strains
spreading
treatment
global-unspecified
migrant
workers
way
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Vehicle emissions, crop burning, and industrial smoke create hazardous smog seasons in cities like Delhi and Jakarta. Low-cost air-purification tech and stricter enforceable emission-trading systems are needed.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
air-pollution
air
pollution
south
southeast
asian
megacities
causes
millions
premature
deaths
global-unspecified
african
urban
cities
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Poor drainage and standing water in fast-growing cities create ideal breeding grounds, overwhelming health systems during outbreaks. AI-based outbreak prediction and community larvae-control apps could reduce case spikes.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
climate-change
dengue
mosquito-borne
diseases
surging
urbanization
climate
change
poor
drainage
cities
society-governance
water
systems
health-biology
Japan, South Korea, and China face rapidly rising elderly populations with too few caregivers and hospital beds. Robotics-assisted elder care and remote health monitoring startups are emerging solutions.
health-biology
asia
china
populations
aging
east
straining
healthcare
elder-care
systems
japan
south
solutions
society-governance
health
providing
care
global-unspecified
Despite economic growth, poor maternal nutrition and inadequate diets leave nearly a third of children stunted in countries like India. Fortified food distribution and mobile nutrition-tracking for at-risk households could help.
economics-resources
asia
india
children
malnutrition
stunting
remain
widespread
among
south
despite
economic
global-unspecified
health-biology
social-civic-problems
food
child
philosophy-ethics
Out-of-pocket medical expenses remain extremely high in countries without universal coverage, forcing families to sell assets during health crises. Affordable micro-health-insurance products could reduce this financial shock.
economics-resources
asia
families
healthcare
costs
driving
millions
asian
poverty
each
year
out-of-pocket
global-unspecified
health-biology
african
health
social-civic-problems
affordable
open
Southeast Asia, Asia
Weak treatment infrastructure and criminalization push addiction underground rather than toward recovery. Harm-reduction clinics and community rehabilitation programs need significant expansion.
local-regional
asia
southeast-asia
opioid
methamphetamine
abuse
rising
sharply
parts
southeast
weak
treatment
global-unspecified
african
remains
access
digital
infrastructure
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Flooded paddy fields release significant greenhouse gases, yet few affordable low-emission farming techniques have reached smallholders. Alternate wetting-and-drying irrigation methods need wider extension support.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
farming
rice
methane
emissions
major
but
underaddressed
climate
contributor
methods
affordable
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
Crop failure, high-interest informal loans, and lack of insurance push indebted farmers into desperation. Weather-index micro-insurance and debt-restructuring platforms could ease this pressure.
economics-resources
asia
south-asia
farmer
suicides
linked
debt
remain
persistent
crisis
parts
south
african
insurance
informal
remains
global-unspecified
climate-environment
Inadequate cold storage and warehousing cause spoilage of fruits, vegetables, and grains before reaching markets. Modular solar cold-storage units are a scalable rural business opportunity.
social-civic-problems
asia
storage
post-harvest
losses
remain
high
southeast
south
inadequate
cold
climate-environment
rural
economics-resources
energy
global-unspecified
african
remains
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Inheritance customs split land across generations, leaving average farm sizes shrinking below profitable thresholds. Cooperative farming models and land-pooling platforms could restore economies of scale.
economics-resources
asia
south-southeast-asia
land
fragmentation
making
farms
too
small
economically
viable
asian
countries
global-unspecified
society-governance
remain
communities
african
open
Southeast Asia, Asia
Weak enforcement in contested and remote maritime zones allows unsustainable and unlicensed fishing to continue. Satellite-based vessel tracking and community-managed marine reserves could help restore stocks.
science-space
asia
southeast-asia
fishing
stocks
illegal
overfishing
depleting
southeast
asian
waters
weak
enforcement
near
global-unspecified
african
economics-resources
unreported
open
East & South Asia, Asia
Aging farming populations struggle to find workers during planting and harvest seasons, especially in East Asia. Affordable small-scale farm automation and shared-equipment rental platforms could offset labor gaps.
technology-computing
asia
east-south-asia
labor
agricultural
shortages
emerging
rural
youth
migrate
cities
aging
global-unspecified
african
economics-resources
remains
access
haven
open
South & Central Asia, Asia
Melting Himalayan glaciers, overextraction, and pollution are shrinking freshwater availability faster than population growth. Efficient irrigation technology and river-basin cooperation agreements are urgently needed.
climate-environment
asia
south-central-asia
water-scarcity
water
scarcity
affects
hundreds
millions
south
central
melting
himalayan
global-unspecified
urban
african
long
whether
Cities like Karachi, Dhaka, and Chennai face chronic shortages and rely heavily on costly tanker deliveries. Rainwater harvesting mandates and leak-reduction technology could ease urban water stress.
climate-environment
asia
south-asia
urban
water
systems
south
asian
megacities
cannot
keep
pace
population
cities
african
global-unspecified
heat
haven
Naturally occurring contaminants in aquifers in Bangladesh and parts of India cause long-term health damage when consumed untreated. Affordable household filtration technology needs wider distribution.
climate-environment
asia
india
arsenic
fluoride
contamination
groundwater
poisons
millions
south
naturally
occurring
global-unspecified
removing
health-biology
remains
