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
Understaffed courts and outdated processes mean cases can take over a decade to resolve, undermining access to justice.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
Formal job creation has not kept pace with the large number of young graduates entering the workforce each year. Skills-matching platforms and support for youth entrepreneurship could help absorb this workforce.
economics-resources
asia
youth
unemployment
remains
persistently
high
several
fast-growing
asian
economies
workforce
global-unspecified
africa
technology-computing
countries
rural
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
The majority of workers lack formal contracts, social security, or legal protections, leaving them vulnerable to economic shocks. Digital tools that gradually formalize small businesses without heavy bureaucracy could extend protections.
economics-resources
asia
south-southeast-asia
informal
economy
dominates
employment
south
southeast
protections
majority
workers
african
global-unspecified
digital
technology-computing
lack
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
Millions of workers migrate for jobs in construction, domestic work, and agriculture but face exploitation due to weak bilateral labor agreements. Digital worker-rights registries and stronger bilateral labor treaties could improve protections.
economics-resources
asia
labor
workers
protections
cross-border
migration
often
leaves
migrant
adequate
global-unspecified
african
informal
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
digital
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
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
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Factory workers, disproportionately women, frequently face unsafe conditions and low wages in export-oriented garment manufacturing. Independent digital labor-monitoring and grievance-reporting platforms could improve accountability.
technology-computing
asia
south-southeast-asia
garment
conditions
textile
industry
labor
south
southeast
often
fall
global-unspecified
digital
african
workers
informal
economics-resources
Founders outside major hubs often cannot easily expand into neighboring markets due to regulatory fragmentation. Harmonized regional startup-friendly regulations could enable faster cross-border scaling.
society-governance
asia
regional
scaling
startups
smaller
economies
face
limited
access
opportunities
african
global-unspecified
remains
local-regional
africa
countries
economics-resources
Uncorrected vision problems reduce learning outcomes in children and productivity in adults, yet eye care is often unavailable locally. Mobile vision-screening clinics and low-cost eyewear distribution networks could address this cheaply.
health-biology
asia
eyewear
vision
access
affordable
correction
remains
limited
rural
uncorrected
global-unspecified
african
low
whether
philosophy-ethics
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
Poorly regulated microfinance and cooperative institutions sometimes collapse, wiping out members' savings. Digital transparency tools and stronger regulatory oversight could protect depositors.
society-governance
asia
rural
credit
cooperatives
parts
suffer
weak
governance
mismanagement
poorly
conflict
digital
post
institutions
technology-computing
african
global-unspecified
War, accidents, and disease leave many without access to mobility devices that could restore independence and employment potential. 3D-printed prosthetics ventures could lower costs dramatically.
health-biology
asia
access
prosthetics
mobility
affordable
aids
remains
limited
disabled
populations
global-unspecified
low
african
whether
philosophy-ethics
Pumping groundwater for irrigation consumes large amounts of electricity, creating a compounding resource strain in water-and-energy-scarce regions. Solar-powered efficient irrigation pumps could reduce both water and energy waste simultaneously.
climate-environment
asia
south-asia
waste
water-energy
nexus
inefficiencies
significant
resources
asian
agriculture
industry
irrigation
global-unspecified
urban
whether
water
african
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
Families facing crises often pull children from school first, disrupting education continuity for the most vulnerable. Emergency cash-transfer programs tied to school attendance could protect continuity during shocks.
social-civic-problems
asia
school
during
shocks
dropout
rates
spike
natural
disasters
economic
parts
global-unspecified
education
children
girls
african
access
open
Southeast Asia, Asia
Rising seas and stronger storms threaten to permanently displace communities that have lived in coastal areas for generations. Managed relocation planning and resilient livelihood diversification programs are urgently needed.
climate-environment
asia
southeast-asia
coastal
communities
small
island
southeast
face
growing
climate
displacement
economics-resources
global-unspecified
fishing
remote
african
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
Many SMEs adopt digital payment and e-commerce tools without understanding basic security practices, exposing them to fraud. Simple, affordable cybersecurity training programs tailored for small businesses could reduce losses.
technology-computing
asia
cybersecurity
small
businesses
digital
awareness
among
growing
economy
remains
global-unspecified
african
low
whether
open
South & Central Asia, Asia
Many households still burn solid fuels indoors for cooking and heating, causing significant respiratory illness, especially among women and children. Clean cookstove distribution programs need continued scaling and subsidy support.
climate-environment
asia
south-central-asia
cooking
heating
air
quality
inside
homes
indoor
remains
major
health
global-unspecified
african
access
health-biology
pollution
