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
Rapid consumption growth combined with inadequate waste management sends huge volumes of plastic into waterways each year. River-cleaning technology and plastic-to-value recycling startups could intercept waste before it reaches oceans.
climate-environment
asia
waste-management
waste
plastic
pollution
asian
rivers
coastlines
contributes
heavily
ocean
globally
global-unspecified
management
systems
recycling
solutions
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Rising temperatures combined with high humidity are pushing some regions toward conditions where outdoor work becomes dangerous. Heat-early-warning systems and outdoor worker protection policies need urgent development.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
extreme
heatwaves
becoming
frequent
deadly
south
southeast
outdoor
rising
systems
economics-resources
society-governance
real
time
predicting
Weak institutional oversight allows officials to siphon funds meant for infrastructure and social services. Open-data procurement platforms and civic-tech accountability tools have shown promise in exposing graft.
society-governance
asia
corruption
continues
divert
public
resources
several
asian
countries
weak
institutional
procurement
systems
technology-computing
governance
global-unspecified
accountability
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Without citizenship or identity documents, affected populations cannot access education, healthcare, or formal employment. Digital identity verification systems designed for displaced populations could restore basic rights access.
social-civic-problems
asia
south-southeast-asia
statelessness
lack
legal
documentation
affect
millions
including
rohingya
identity
digital
society-governance
global-unspecified
access
systems
technology-computing
Understaffed courts and outdated processes mean cases can take over a decade to resolve, undermining access to justice. Digital case-management systems and virtual hearings could significantly speed up processing.
society-governance
asia
south-asia
cases
systems
judicial
backlogs
leave
millions
pending
south
asian
court
technology-computing
economics-resources
global-unspecified
digital
whether
Frequent earthquakes, floods, and typhoons overwhelm response systems that lack modern early-warning and coordination technology. Regional disaster-data sharing platforms could improve response speed and reduce casualties.
climate-environment
asia
response
coordination
disaster
preparedness
remain
weak
several
disaster-prone
asian
countries
systems
society-governance
technology-computing
global-unspecified
public
health-biology
Weak enforcement means inventors and creators often see their work copied without compensation, discouraging R&D investment. Streamlined regional patent systems could better protect innovators.
local-regional
asia
intellectual
property
piracy
discourages
innovation
commercialization
several
asian
markets
weak
systems
society-governance
african
africa
often
public
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
Cities are growing faster than governments can build roads, utilities, and housing, leading to chronic service shortfalls. Incremental, modular urban planning approaches could help cities adapt more affordably.
society-governance
asia
urban-planning
cities
planning
rapid
unplanned
urbanization
outpacing
infrastructure
asian
growing
faster
urban
climate-environment
african
global-unspecified
systems
Rapid construction is consuming parks and open land, reducing residents' access to recreation and worsening urban heat. Green-corridor urban planning policies could preserve livability as cities expand.
science-space
asia
urban-planning
cities
public
green
space
shrinking
densely
built
asian
urban
rapid
climate-environment
african
global-unspecified
society-governance
systems
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
Treated wastewater is rarely reused for non-potable purposes despite growing water stress in many urban areas. Decentralized greywater recycling systems for buildings could meaningfully cut freshwater demand.
climate-environment
asia
urban
water
recycling
reuse
infrastructure
remains
underdeveloped
asian
cities
treated
global-unspecified
african
systems
haven
open
United States, North America
Poor road design, weak enforcement of traffic laws, and mixed traffic of pedestrians, two-wheelers, and cars create high accident rates. Smart traffic-monitoring and stricter licensing enforcement systems could reduce fatalities.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
traffic
road
chronic
accidents
safety
failures
kill
hundreds
thousands
asia
systems
global-unspecified
reducing
african
public
Millions move to cities annually seeking better opportunities, overwhelming housing, transit, and utility systems built for smaller populations. Satellite-tracked migration-pattern analytics could help cities plan services proactively.
social-civic-problems
asia
services
rural-to-urban
migration
straining
city
faster
governments
adapt
cities
society-governance
urban
public
systems
african
global-unspecified
governance
Oral health is often neglected in public health systems, leading to preventable pain and infection that affects nutrition and productivity. Mobile dental clinics and community oral-health education programs could improve outcomes.
health-biology
asia
public-health
dental
care
access
remains
extremely
limited
rural
parts
health
global-unspecified
social-civic-problems
african
society-governance
public
whether
Popular herbal and traditional remedies vary widely in potency and purity, sometimes causing harm when unregulated. Quality-testing labs and certification systems for traditional medicine producers could improve safety.
society-governance
asia
traditional
medicine
safety
alternative
practices
lack
standardized
quality
regulation
systems
technology-computing
ensuring
african
informal
global-unspecified
economics-resources
Millions rely on informal waste collection and sorting for income but lack safety equipment, fair pay, or legal recognition. Formalizing waste-picker cooperatives with fair-trade recycling partnerships could improve livelihoods.
economics-resources
asia
informal
waste-picker
urban
communities
work
hazardous
unrecognized
conditions
millions
waste
settlements
african
global-unspecified
systems
formalizing
Secondary cities often have no real-time air-quality data, leaving residents unaware of health risks on high-pollution days. Low-cost sensor networks could extend monitoring coverage affordably.
climate-environment
asia
monitoring
networks
cities
urban
air
quality
remain
sparse
outside
major
global-unspecified
african
society-governance
systems
water
Dense, unregulated markets are prone to fires and disease outbreaks due to poor infrastructure investment. Public-private partnerships to formalize market infrastructure could improve safety without displacing vendors.
health-biology
asia
infrastructure
markets
urban
informal
lack
basic
sanitation
fire-safety
dense
african
global-unspecified
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
economics-resources
technology-computing
