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
Canada, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for interventions that reliably improve mental health outcomes at population scale creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
north-america
canada
mental-health
interventions
reliably
improve
mental
health
outcomes
population
scale
development
absence
solutions
systems
climate-environment
methods
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for protocols for the rapid and ethical evaluation of new medical and public health interventions creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
health-biology
europe
poland
public-health
protocols
rapid
ethical
evaluation
new
medical
public
health
interventions
practical
society-governance
solutions
systems
climate-environment
Informal settlements in Yemen largely rely on pit latrines with no formal desludging service, leading to overflow into waterways and elevated diarrheal disease rates among children.
health-biology
asia
yemen
informal
settlements
extending
fecal
sludge
management
largely
rely
pit
society-governance
economics-resources
systems
public
climate-environment
open
South Africa, Africa
Women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM higher education and careers in South Africa, a gap that begins with unequal encouragement and resources at the secondary school level.
social-civic-problems
africa
south-africa
women
stem
south
increasing
representation
fields
remain
significantly
underrepresented
global-unspecified
health-biology
society-governance
open
Papua New Guinea, Oceania
Current approaches to methods for quantifying the full environmental and social costs of different energy pathways either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
climate-environment
oceania
papua-new-guinea
methods
quantifying
full
environmental
social
costs
different
energy
pathways
development
society-governance
systems
enabling
approaches
solutions
open
New Zealand, Oceania
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for scalable methods for restoring peatland hydrology and carbon stocks 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
oceania
new-zealand
methods
scalable
restoring
peatland
hydrology
carbon
stocks
deployable
technologies
despite
systems
society-governance
barriers
solutions
designs
Current approaches to architectural and planning approaches that make cities more equitable and climate-resilient simultaneously either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
climate-environment
europe
italy
approaches
architectural
planning
make
cities
equitable
climate-resilient
simultaneously
scalable
solutions
society-governance
systems
enabling
under
designs
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for institutional designs that make long-term climate and sustainability policy more durable across political cycles. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
asia
philippines
institutional
durable
designs
make
long-term
climate
sustainability
policy
political
cycles
solutions
systems
climate-environment
methods
scalable
Achieving technologies for safe and efficient long-distance transport of hydrogen and ammonia at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
europe
sweden
technologies
safe
efficient
long-distance
transport
hydrogen
ammonia
development
achieving
meaningful
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
solutions
enabling
open
Guatemala, North America
Current approaches to technologies enabling efficient and low-impact desalination and water treatment at various scales either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
society-governance
north-america
guatemala
enabling
technologies
efficient
low-impact
desalination
water
treatment
various
scales
robust
climate-environment
systems
methods
approaches
solutions
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for pathways for integrating traditional ecological knowledge with modern environmental management. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
africa
ethiopia
pathways
integrating
traditional
ecological
knowledge
modern
environmental
management
robust
methods
solutions
systems
enabling
scalable
technologies
Rapid urban growth in Indonesia has produced large informal settlements lacking basic infrastructure, and in-place upgrading approaches remain rare compared to displacement-driven redevelopment models.
society-governance
asia
indonesia
upgrading
informal
settlements
displacing
residents
rapid
urban
growth
has
economics-resources
systems
without
digital
open
United States, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for scalable interventions improving executive function after chronic stress creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
scalable
solutions
interventions
improving
executive
function
chronic
stress
absence
robust
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
ensuring
open
Papua New Guinea, Oceania
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for governance frameworks for the ethical development and deployment of human enhancement technologies creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
oceania
papua-new-guinea
governance
human
solutions
frameworks
ethical
development
deployment
enhancement
technologies
scalable
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
ensuring
open
Solomon Islands, Oceania
Current approaches to biotechnologies enabling the production of high-value materials from captured carbon dioxide either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
climate-environment
oceania
solomon-islands
enabling
biotechnologies
production
high-value
materials
captured
carbon
dioxide
systemic
solutions
society-governance
systems
approaches
technologies
methods
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for governance models for ensuring the safety of advanced AI systems capable of recursive self-improvement. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
europe
romania
governance
models
ensuring
safety
advanced
systems
capable
recursive
self-improvement
breakthrough
solutions
methods
climate-environment
scalable
designs
open
Papua New Guinea, Oceania
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for methods for reducing the environmental footprint of the global healthcare system. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
oceania
papua-new-guinea
methods
reducing
environmental
footprint
healthcare
system
breakthrough
approaches
persistent
solutions
systems
scalable
climate-environment
practical
governance
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for predictive analytics for anticipating and preventing cascading infrastructure failures. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
asia
india
predictive
analytics
anticipating
preventing
cascading
infrastructure
failures
breakthrough
approaches
persistent
solutions
systems
methods
governance
scalable
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for affordable and durable solutions for the management of household and industrial organic waste. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
europe
romania
solutions
durable
scalable
affordable
management
household
industrial
organic
waste
persistent
systems
methods
climate-environment
enabling
governance
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for ethical and technical frameworks for human-AI collaboration in high-stakes decision making. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
asia
vietnam
solutions
ethical
technical
frameworks
human-ai
collaboration
high-stakes
decision
making
systemic
systems
governance
scalable
methods
practical