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 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
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
Up to 40% of fresh produce in nations like Vietnam, Myanmar, and Indonesia spoils before reaching urban markets due to lack of refrigerated transport, decentralized storage, and unreliable off-grid power, exacerbating regional food insecurity.
local-regional
asia
indonesia
haven
created
scalable
cold-chain
networks
capable
preventing
post-harvest
crop
losses
african
urban
rural
climate-environment
economics-resources
Fast-moving consumer goods companies rely heavily on multi-layer plastic sachets to sell small product quantities affordably, generating unrecyclable plastic litter across waterways and marine systems.
economics-resources
asia
philippines
plastic
consumer
goods
haven
eliminated
single-use
packaging
distribution
networks
lower-income
climate-environment
global-unspecified
systems
waste
food
Divergent definitions of 'sustainable investments' across regional stock exchanges allow carbon-intensive industries to access green bond financing without verified emissions reductions.
climate-environment
asia
singapore
green
haven
harmonized
taxonomy
standards
asian
capital
markets
eliminate
greenwashing
african
remains
africa
global-unspecified
education
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
Digital platforms and assistive devices remain cost-prohibitive or unadapted for regional languages, excluding millions of persons with disabilities from the growing digital workforce.
technology-computing
asia
philippines
disabilities
haven
developed
inclusive
tech
infrastructure
workers
developing
markets
digital
global-unspecified
african
remains
economics-resources
public
Poor supply chain oversight allows fake antibiotics, malaria medications, and life-saving drugs to enter rural retail markets, leading to treatment failures and drug resistance.
economics-resources
asia
myanmar
supply-chain
rural
haven
solved
crisis
counterfeit
substandard
pharmaceuticals
circulating
decentralized
pharmacies
global-unspecified
health-biology
african
philosophy-ethics
Rising temperatures reduce coffee yields, but international commodity market volatility prevents small farmers from covering rising cultivation costs.
climate-environment
asia
vietnam
coffee
farmers
haven
structured
fair
pricing
mechanisms
smallholder
cocoa
facing
economics-resources
connecting
local-regional
global-unspecified
storage
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
Coastal fishers are forced to sell daily catches to predatory middlemen at fraction of market prices due to lack of real-time price transparency.
technology-computing
asia
sri-lanka
market
fishers
haven
built
affordable
digital
access
tools
small-craft
artisanal
global-unspecified
economics-resources
african
low
lack
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fake or looted artifacts sometimes enter the art market disguised as legitimate finds, and verification methods remain inconsistent across the industry. Better systems could protect both cultural heritage and honest collectors.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
artifacts
enter
don
have
reliable
way
verify
authenticity
historical
private
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Credit products are sometimes marketed most aggressively to people least able to manage the resulting debt responsibly. Stronger protections that don't cut off access entirely remain a difficult, unresolved balance.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
debt
marketed
aggressively
people
haven
solved
prevent
excessive
consumer
being
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
mathematics-logic
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A small number of large companies control a significant share of the world's seed and agricultural input supply, raising concerns about farmer dependency and pricing power. More diverse, resilient supply structures remain underdeveloped.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
supply
seed
haven
found
way
prevent
excessive
market
concentration
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Allowing payment for organs or surrogacy could increase availability and help people in need, but also raises concerns about exploitation of the poor. Society remains deeply divided on where ethical limits should sit.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
ethical
organs
haven
settled
whether
allow
markets
exist
things
like
resolved
know
determine
mathematics-logic
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Resources like fresh water, fertile soil, and certain minerals are being used faster than they can replenish, yet markets often don't price this depletion accurately. Building this cost into economic decision-making remains largely unresolved.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
don
economic
depletion
resources
have
system
properly
accounts
finite
natural
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
In many regions, a lack of real competition among providers allows companies to charge more than a competitive market would allow. Enforcing genuine competition in these industries remains a persistent regulatory challenge.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
industries
real
yet
prevent
monopolistic
pricing
few
competitors
like
internet
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
way
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
New, fast-growing markets often attract inexperienced investors right before major price crashes, leading to significant personal financial losses. Protecting newer investors without stifling innovation remains an unresolved balance.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
investors
markets
inexperienced
yet
prevent
speculative
bubbles
emerging
asset
like
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
haven
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Housing price bubbles tend to form, burst, and disproportionately hurt lower-income buyers and renters each cycle. Preventing this pattern from repeating remains a persistent economic policy challenge.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
housing
haven
solved
prevent
boom-and-bust
cycles
markets
repeatedly
hurting
same
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
social-civic-problems
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many products marketed as biodegradable still break down into tiny plastic particles that persist in the environment for years. A truly safe, fully compostable packaging material remains elusive at scale.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
packaging
fully
yet
build
materials
decompose
safely
leaving
microplastics
behind
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
health-biology