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
Overfishing and destructive fishing practices like dynamite and cyanide fishing are collapsing fish stocks and destroying delicate coral reef ecosystems across disputed maritime territories without effective joint enforcement.
economics-resources
asia
china
fishing
haven
successfully
eliminated
illegal
unreported
unregulated
iuu
international
waters
coastal
communities
global-unspecified
near
science-space
In Mongolia and Central Asia, winter disaster phenomena ('dzuds') freeze pasturelands, killing millions of livestock and forcing nomadic herders into impoverished urban shantytowns without transition support.
climate-environment
asia
mongolia
nomadic
livestock
haven
modernized
traditional
pastoral
management
survive
severe
extreme
urban
health-biology
global-unspecified
established
economics-resources
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
High-value illicit wildlife products continue to flow through regional transportation hubs, driven by organized crime networks and persistent market demand for traditional medicine and exotic pets.
economics-resources
asia
vietnam
wildlife
hubs
haven
curbed
illegal
trade
routes
operating
transshipment
southeast
trafficking
global-unspecified
society-governance
african
africa
Migrant workers moving across regional trade corridors lose accrued pension contributions and social coverage when returning home, eroding long-term financial security.
economics-resources
asia
nepal
social
security
haven
created
cross-border
portability
benefits
intra-asian
economic
migrants
workers
global-unspecified
informal
technology-computing
african
Opaque national food storage figures cause neighboring Asian countries to impose immediate export bans during minor crop declines, artificially spiking global food prices.
climate-environment
asia
thailand
regional
export
bans
during
haven
built
real-time
grain
reserve
tracking
global-unspecified
food
prevent
whether
local-regional
High transport costs prevent islanders from accessing routine screenings for diabetes, hypertension, and early-stage cancers, leading to late-stage diagnoses and preventable mortality.
health-biology
asia
philippines
haven
built
affordable
diagnostic
screening
networks
non-communicable
diseases
remote
island
communities
economics-resources
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
whether
Women perform the vast majority of line-level factory work in textile exports but are consistently passed over for supervisory, engineering, and managerial promotions.
society-governance
asia
vietnam
haven
closed
persistent
gender
pay
gap
manufacturing
garment
assembly
sectors
economics-resources
global-unspecified
formal
sector
philosophy-ethics
Ubiquitous sexual harassment on public transit restricts women's mobility, limiting their access to employment, higher education, and public spaces.
science-space
asia
nepal
public-transport
public
haven
established
safe
harassment-free
transport
infrastructure
female
commuters
expanding
society-governance
global-unspecified
technology-computing
economics-resources
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
Major commercial shipping ports across Southeast Asia lack elevated breakwaters and storm protection, risking catastrophic supply chain disruptions.
climate-environment
asia
vietnam
supply-chain
storm
haven
built
climate-hardened
port
infrastructure
resilient
1-in-100-year
surge
projections
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
economics-resources
Conventional Portland cement production accounts for major industrial carbon emissions in Asia; green cement alternatives lack standardized building code certifications.
climate-environment
asia
china
carbon-emissions
cement
alternatives
haven
created
low-carbon
scalable
massive
infrastructure
expansion
conventional
affordable
carbon
global-unspecified
reducing
Municipal transport authorities lack upfront capital to purchase electric buses and build high-voltage charging depots, prolonging diesel air pollution.
climate-environment
asia
sri-lanka
air-pollution
electric
haven
transition-funded
fossil
fuel
bus
fleets
zero-emission
transit
networks
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
Rising sea surface temperatures trigger massive coral bleaching, threatening marine biodiversity hot-spots that support the livelihoods of millions of coastal residents.
climate-environment
asia
indonesia
biodiversity
coral
bleaching
marine
haven
arrested
events
caused
localized
heatwaves
triangle
near
protecting
coastal
global-unspecified
Smallholder farmers growing organic cash crops face export rejections because synthetic chemicals spray-drift from neighboring non-organic farms.
climate-environment
asia
sri-lanka
non-organic
haven
stopped
agricultural
pesticide
drift
contaminating
adjacent
tea
spice
farmers
smallholder
fair
connecting
local-regional
Farmers deliver produce to un-refrigerated outdoor wholesale markets where extreme daytime heat spoils crops before sale.
climate-environment
asia
bangladesh
wholesale
markets
produce
haven
built
climate-controlled
public
agricultural
prevent
spoilage
economics-resources
global-unspecified
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even when Lyme disease is caught and treated early, a portion of patients still develop lasting symptoms, and doctors don't fully understand why treatment doesn't fully resolve the illness in every case. Solving this could improve outcomes for a currently underserved group of patients.
health-biology
global-unspecified
fully
patients
develop
lyme
disease
early
treatment
yet
explain
some
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Effective treatments for addiction exist, but cost and availability limits keep many people from accessing them, particularly in underserved communities. Closing this access gap remains as important as any treatment breakthrough.
health-biology
global-unspecified
effective
addiction
treatment
haven
solved
make
accessible
everyone
needs
not
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
way
resolved
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many parts of the world have extremely few mental health professionals relative to their population, leaving most people with mental health needs entirely unsupported. Solving this requires new models of care delivery, not just more funding.
health-biology
global-unspecified
mental-health
mental
health
have
professionals
don
scalable
way
provide
support
regions
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for mechanisms for ensuring that climate and development finance reaches women and marginalized groups are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
asia
indonesia
mechanisms
ensuring
climate
development
finance
reaches
women
marginalized
groups
deployable
methods
systems
society-governance
barriers
designs
