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
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Solar sails require ultra-thin, kilometer-wide polymer films that cannot be safely deployed without tangling or tearing. Zero-g robotic vapor deposition or automated truss deployment frames must be engineered.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
cannot
solar
sails
efficiently
manufacture
mega-scale
lightweight
orbit
require
ultra-thin
whether
africa
infrastructure
waste
mathematics-logic
battery
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Standard Extravehicular Mobility Units vent water into space to keep astronauts cool, depleting habitat reserves. Closed-loop heat pump suits or phase-change cooling garments need to be integrated into next-gen suits.
science-space
global-unspecified
water
space
cooling
current
suit
systems
rely
sublimation
wasting
critical
climate-environment
whether
urban
philosophy-ethics
cities
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
While microgravity (0g) is well-studied, long-term multi-generational plant reproduction under lunar (0.16g) or Martian (0.38g) gravity is unverified. Long-term surface greenhouse experiments are urgently needed.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
long-term
gravity
plant
not
know
biological
effects
fractional
growth
seed
long
term
systems
whether
society-governance
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Objects originating from outside our solar system pass through at extreme hyperbolic velocities with minimal discovery lead-time. High-delta-v interceptor platforms on standby in deep space orbits are required for defense.
science-space
global-unspecified
defense
objects
lack
operational
planetary
mechanism
deflect
large
fast-moving
interstellar
climate-environment
space
high
autonomous
docking
Over 80% of workers in countries like India, Bangladesh, and Nepal operate within informal economies without access to pensions, disability insurance, or minimum wage guarantees. Traditional bureaucratic tax and welfare systems fail to track or protect these transient and cash-reliant populations during economic shocks.
economics-resources
asia
india
informal
workers
haven
found
effective
mechanism
extend
formal
social
safety
global-unspecified
systems
african
technology-computing
settlements
In archipelagic nations like the Philippines, vulnerable households repeatedly lose livestock, crops, and home infrastructure to severe seasonal storms. Standard microfinance models often default during disasters, compounding debt cycles rather than relieving poverty.
climate-environment
asia
philippines
poverty
haven
developed
climate-resilient
financial
instruments
prevent
coastal
communities
falling
global-unspecified
economics-resources
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
The Mekong and Ganges-Brahmaputra deltas are experiencing severe saltwater intrusion, rendering traditional rice paddies unproductive. Alternative crop strains and soil remediation techniques have not been deployed at the scale needed to sustain millions of farming households.
climate-environment
asia
bangladesh
soil
deltas
haven
successfully
mitigated
salinization
agricultural
river
impacted
sea-level
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
way
whether
mathematics-logic
While calorie intake has stabilized in many Asian urban centers, access to nutrient-dense fresh food remains unaffordable for low-income residents, resulting in persistent stunting, anemia, and hidden hunger among young children.
health-biology
asia
pakistan
among
urban
haven
eliminated
micronutrient
malnutrition
slum
populations
rapidly
expanding
global-unspecified
african
economics-resources
whether
access
In major agricultural and industrial manufacturing regions across East and South Asia, overuse of antibiotics in livestock and unmonitored factory discharge have accelerated the proliferation of drug-resistant pathogens, threatening global healthcare systems.
health-biology
asia
india
agricultural
haven
halted
rapid
surge
antimicrobial
resistance
driven
unregulated
pharmaceutical
global-unspecified
systems
climate-environment
whether
philosophy-ethics
Deep social stigma, severe shortages of qualified psychiatric professionals, and centralized medical infrastructure leave hundreds of millions of rural residents without access to mental health diagnosis or intervention.
health-biology
asia
indonesia
mental-health
mental
rural
haven
established
adequate
healthcare
frameworks
tailored
low-resource
asian
access
health
remains
global-unspecified
Seasonal crop burning, industrial emissions, and vehicle exhaust generate high concentrations of PM2.5 across the Indo-Gangetic Plain, shaving years off average life expectancy without unified cross-border environmental governance.
climate-environment
asia
nepal
air-pollution
haven
effectively
mitigated
life-shortening
particulate
air
pollution
major
south
asian
global-unspecified
quality
urban
african
Students in remote, mountainous topographies like Bhutan, Central Asia, and northern Pakistan lack stable internet connectivity and localized digital curricula, leaving them disadvantaged in higher education and global digital workforce participation.
social-civic-problems
asia
pakistan
digital
education
haven
closed
learning
divide
between
rural
mountain
communities
technology-computing
access
global-unspecified
african
remains
High pupil-to-teacher ratios in low-income schools often result in 'learning poverty,' where children complete primary school without basic functional literacy. Current retraining programs for rural educators struggle to scale effectively.
social-civic-problems
asia
cambodia
literacy
primary
haven
successfully
modernised
foundational
numeracy
pedagogy
over-crowded
classrooms
global-unspecified
children
students
low
school
Despite rising educational attainment among young women, regional female workforce participation remains among the lowest globally due to unpaid care burdens, safety concerns, and entrenched patriarchal property rights.
social-civic-problems
asia
india
female
participation
haven
dismantled
socio-legal
barriers
restrict
labor
force
south
economics-resources
global-unspecified
remains
society-governance
care
Online abuse, non-consensual image sharing, and cyber-stalking targeting women and girls are surging across Southeast Asia, outpacing existing legal definitions and digital safety enforcement mechanisms.
technology-computing
asia
malaysia
digital
haven
eradicated
technology-facilitated
gender-based
violence
harassment
platforms
online
abuse
african
global-unspecified
society-governance
remains
social-civic-problems
Millions of people across Bangladesh, West Bengal, and the Mekong region consume groundwater contaminated with toxic levels of arsenic and fluoride, causing severe chronic diseases due to lack of affordable community filtration systems.
health-biology
asia
bangladesh
arsenic
groundwater
haven
engineered
low-cost
technologies
filter
naturally
occurring
heavy
contamination
global-unspecified
fluoride
removing
climate-environment
Subsidized electricity for agricultural tube wells has caused deep water tables across Northern India and Northern China to collapse, threatening domestic drinking supplies and long-term agricultural survival.
local-regional
asia
india
agricultural
caused
haven
reversed
severe
aquifer
depletion
unmetered
groundwater
extraction
climate-environment
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
prevent
Rapid installation of solar and wind capacity in countries like Vietnam and India frequently faces grid curtailment because high-voltage transmission lines and grid-scale battery storage are insufficiently developed.
climate-environment
asia
india
developed
grid
haven
scalable
architectures
integrate
intermittent
renewable
power
aging
global-unspecified
solar
energy
local-regional
whether
Over a billion people in Asia still rely on wood, dung, and coal for daily cooking, causing severe indoor air pollution and chronic respiratory illnesses, primarily affecting women and young children.
climate-environment
asia
myanmar
air-pollution
cooking
haven
replaced
dangerous
traditional
biomass
fuels
remote
rural
households
global-unspecified
health-biology
remains
reducing
Millions of delivery drivers and ride-hailing workers in South and Southeast Asia operate without employment benefits, workplace injury compensation, or collective bargaining rights, leaving them economically precarious.
economics-resources
asia
indonesia
workers
haven
established
labor
protections
gig
economy
platform
fast-growing
asian
informal
african
global-unspecified
worker
