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
Rising borrowing costs and currency depreciation mean debt servicing now consumes large shares of national budgets, crowding out health and education spending. Transparent debt-management dashboards could improve public accountability.
social-civic-problems
africa
public
debt
burdens
african
nations
becoming
unsustainable
rising
borrowing
costs
society-governance
global-unspecified
whether
haven
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
Slow customs processing and outdated equipment at major ports add days of delay and cost to imports and exports. Digital single-window customs systems could sharply cut clearance times.
economics-resources
africa
cost
port
congestion
inefficiency
raise
african
trade
significantly
customs
slow
systems
society-governance
digital
many
global-unspecified
Many skilled developers leave for remote jobs abroad or emigrate entirely due to limited local opportunities. Africa-focused tech hubs and outsourcing platforms could retain more talent domestically.
economics-resources
africa
tech
talent
local
jobs
pipeline
outpaces
number
high-quality
available
african
global-unspecified
remains
remote
society-governance
research
technology-computing
Most African internet traffic is routed through servers in Europe, increasing latency and costs. Local data center buildouts, especially in underserved regions, present strong infrastructure investment opportunities.
climate-environment
africa
data
infrastructure
centers
cloud
remain
scarce
continent
african
internet
traffic
global-unspecified
technology-computing
society-governance
systems
whether
limited
Rising digitization without matching security investment leaves banks, hospitals, and agencies vulnerable to attacks. Affordable managed cybersecurity services tailored to African SMEs are an underexplored market.
technology-computing
africa
cybersecurity
african
capacity
governments
businesses
underdeveloped
rising
digitization
matching
security
global-unspecified
whether
remains
infrastructure
digital
Without reliable ID systems, citizens struggle to access banking, healthcare, and government services. Interoperable biometric ID platforms, if privacy-protected, could unlock major efficiency gains.
technology-computing
africa
systems
digital
identity
african
countries
incomplete
fragmented
reliable
citizens
struggle
society-governance
global-unspecified
climate-environment
economics-resources
whether
philosophy-ethics
Rapid urban consumption growth has outpaced recycling infrastructure, leaving plastic waste in waterways and streets. Local plastic-to-value recycling startups could turn this waste into a resource.
climate-environment
africa
waste-management
waste
plastic
pollution
overwhelming
african
cities
limited
management
systems
recycling
local
global-unspecified
might
actors
economics-resources
open
West & Central Africa, Africa
Weak institutions, resource competition, and ethnic tensions continue to trigger instability, displacing millions. Early-warning conflict-monitoring platforms using open-source data could support faster diplomatic intervention.
society-governance
africa
west-central-africa
civil
conflicts
coups
remain
frequent
parts
west
central
weak
data
global-unspecified
institutions
asia
south
african
Economies are not creating enough formal jobs to absorb the roughly 10-12 million youth entering the labor market annually. Skills-matching platforms and support for youth-led micro-enterprises are urgently needed.
economics-resources
africa
youth
unemployment
remains
critically
high
despite
young
growing
population
global-unspecified
low
asia
rural
Over 80% of African employment is informal, meaning no pensions, health insurance, or job security for most workers. Digital tools to formalize informal businesses gradually could extend protections without heavy bureaucracy.
society-governance
africa
informal
african
workers
protections
sector
work
dominates
economies
leaving
over
economics-resources
settlements
technology-computing
digital
global-unspecified
mathematics-logic
Weak IP enforcement means inventors and creators often see their ideas copied without compensation, discouraging investment in R&D. Streamlined regional patent systems could better protect innovators.
local-regional
africa
innovators
piracy
intellectual
property
discourages
african
commercializing
inventions
weak
enforcement
society-governance
systems
asia
public
creating
accountable
open
Gulf of Guinea, Africa
Weak naval capacity among coastal states lets criminal networks disrupt shipping and extract ransoms. Shared regional maritime surveillance systems could improve enforcement capacity.
local-regional
africa
gulf-of-guinea
maritime
piracy
smuggling
persist
gulf
guinea
capacity
weak
naval
among
systems
society-governance
without
mass
surveillance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Current radioisotope thermoelectric generators rely on scarce Pu-238, limiting mission frequency and payload capacity. Developing miniaturized, high-efficiency nuclear or alternative power sources is vital for continuous outer-planet exploration.
science-space
global-unspecified
power
sources
lack
autonomous
long-life
deep-space
missions
beyond
solar
reach
climate-environment
small
businesses
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Transit times to Mars and the outer planets require months to years of flight, increasing risk and cost. Breakthrough high-thrust, high-Isp propulsion systems—such as nuclear thermal or plasma engines—are critical.
science-space
global-unspecified
chemical
rockets
too
slow
efficient
human
payload
transport
solar
system
systems
society-governance
ensuring
informal
safety
reliability
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
These moons host liquid water oceans under miles of ice, warmed by tidal forces, but we lack robotic tools capable of melting through kilometers of crust to sample liquid water without introducing Earth contamination.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
oceans
moons
not
know
life
exist
sub-surface
icy
like
europa
water
whether
don
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
urban
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Current space stations must re-supply metabolic consumables, water filtration media, and trace contaminant gases from Earth. Fully regenerative bio-synthetic life support systems are essential for long-term lunar and Martian outposts.
science-space
global-unspecified
life
support
systems
100
closed-loop
environmental
control
eclss
not
exist
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
whether
open
United States, North America
The Coronal Heating Problem violates intuition: the outer solar atmosphere reaches millions of degrees while the surface is ~5,500°C. Solving this requires understanding magnetic reconnection and Alfvén wave dissipation mechanisms.
climate-environment
north-america
united-states
solar
surface
corona
thousands
times
hotter
sun
don
know
coronal
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Shipping structural habitat materials from Earth is cost-prohibitive. We must develop 3D-sintering or concrete binder technologies that use local soil to withstand vacuum pressure and severe thermal cycling.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
have
proven
way
construct
durable
air-tight
habitats
out
raw
lunar
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
don
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Gravitational clustering of trans-Neptunian objects suggests an unseen massive planet beyond Pluto. Deep wide-field survey software and ultra-sensitive infrared observatories are required to pinpoint its coordinates.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
planet
have
not
definitively
located
hypothetical
nine
outer
solar
system
whether
know
don
philosophy-ethics
determine
science-space
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Variable space weather causes unpredictable upper atmosphere expansion, creating atmospheric drag that alters satellite orbits without warning. Space situational awareness requires real-time upper-atmosphere mapping.
science-space
global-unspecified
lack
precise
continuous
monitoring
earth
thermosphere
ionosphere
mass
density
space
enabling
society-governance
technologies
systems
know
