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
Mangroves protect coastlines from storms and support rich ecosystems, but they continue to be cleared for development faster than restoration efforts can replace them. Speeding up restoration while slowing clearance remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
development
don
have
scalable
way
restore
mangrove
forests
fast
enough
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even with improved spill response technology, oil spills can leave lasting ecological damage that persists for years after the initial cleanup appears complete. Preventing spills in the first place remains far more effective than any current cleanup method.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
spills
oil
damage
yet
fully
prevent
causing
long-term
marine
coastal
philosophy-ethics
whether
health-biology
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As Arctic ice recedes, increased shipping and resource extraction activity adds further pressure to already fragile polar ecosystems. Balancing economic interest with ecological protection in this newly accessible region remains unresolved.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
polar
ecosystems
increased
activity
haven
solved
protect
compounding
effects
warming
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
climate-environment
protection
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Insect populations, including many pollinators, have been declining in various regions due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change, threatening the broader ecosystems and agriculture that depend on them. Reversing this decline at scale remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
climate-change
decline
insect
populations
yet
fully
prevent
essential
food
production
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
mathematics-logic
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Salt and chemicals used to keep roads safe in winter can wash into nearby streams and lakes, harming aquatic life over time. Finding equally effective but less harmful alternatives remains an underaddressed environmental challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
salt
chemicals
harming
yet
fully
prevent
runoff
road
de-icing
freshwater
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Ships can unintentionally transport invasive species across oceans in the water they carry for stability, introducing them to ecosystems where they can cause serious ecological disruption. Fully preventing this transfer remains inconsistently enforced globally.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
invasive
species
water
ships
don
have
effective
way
prevent
spread
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As temperatures rise, alpine species are forced to migrate to higher elevations, but many eventually run out of mountain left to climb, risking extinction. Protecting these increasingly squeezed ecosystems remains an unresolved conservation priority.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
alpine
ecosystems
temperatures
species
yet
fully
prevent
loss
warming
push
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
way
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many reforestation projects plant fast-growing single species rather than rebuilding complex, biodiverse forest ecosystems, which limits their true ecological value. Making these projects genuinely restorative rather than just visually green remains an unresolved challenge.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
projects
reforestation
rebuilding
biodiverse
forest
ecosystems
haven
solved
make
large-scale
philosophy-ethics
whether
climate-environment
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many cities' stormwater systems combine sewage and rainwater runoff, and heavy storms can cause this combined overflow to discharge untreated into nearby waterways. Fully separating and managing this runoff remains a costly, unresolved infrastructure challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
stormwater
systems
fully
overflow
heavy
haven
found
way
make
urban
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
prevent
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Freshwater mussels play an important role in filtering water and supporting aquatic ecosystems, but they're highly sensitive to pollution and warming, and many populations are declining as a result. Protecting this often overlooked species remains an unresolved conservation issue.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
freshwater
populations
sensitive
pollution
yet
fully
prevent
bleaching
mussel
temperature
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As demand grows for minerals used in batteries and electronics, deep-sea mining is expanding into ecosystems that remain poorly understood and could take centuries to recover from disruption. Regulating this before major damage occurs remains an unresolved governance and environmental challenge.
society-governance
global-unspecified
deep-sea
ecosystems
mining
don
have
scalable
way
prevent
depletion
emerging
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Coastal dunes provide a natural barrier against storm surges, but development and recreational use continue to erode them faster than they can naturally rebuild. Protecting these ecosystems remains an underappreciated but unresolved coastal resilience challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
coastal
ecosystems
naturally
storm
yet
fully
prevent
loss
dune
buffer
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Artisanal mining, often for gold, frequently uses toxic mercury and lacks basic safety protections, harming both workers' health and nearby water systems. Making this widespread informal industry safer at scale remains an unresolved global challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
artisanal
mining
safer
both
workers
haven
found
way
make
small-scale
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Draining and clearing carbon-rich peat swamp forests for agriculture releases enormous amounts of stored carbon while also destroying unique ecosystems. Preventing this specific type of high-impact land conversion remains an unresolved policy and enforcement challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
carbon-rich
peat
swamp
forests
yet
fully
prevent
agricultural
expansion
palm
philosophy-ethics
whether
way
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fraudulent scholarship offers generated to look authentic can convincingly target students seeking financial aid, extracting personal or banking information under false pretenses. Detection and public awareness campaigns remain inconsistently effective.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
scholarship
offers
students
build
fully
reliable
systems
detect
ai-generated
fake
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
prevent
way
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Entirely fabricated conference proceedings, complete with fake papers and attendee lists, could potentially be used to pad academic resumes without detection. Verifying the legitimacy of claimed academic activities remains an unresolved challenge.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
academic
fake
conference
proceedings
haven
solved
prevent
systems
generating
convincing
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Automated phone systems using AI can sometimes fail to correctly route urgent or unusual complaints, leaving customers stuck in unhelpful loops during time-sensitive situations. Improving reliability in these systems for edge cases remains an unresolved design challenge.
society-governance
global-unspecified
customer
phone
urgent
complaints
haven
found
way
prevent
ai-driven
fake
systems
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fabricated professional licenses generated to appear authentic could potentially deceive employers or clients who don't have direct access to official verification databases. Expanding accessible, reliable verification systems remains an unresolved challenge globally.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
verification
don
have
scalable
way
prevent
ai-generated
fake
academic
license
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Entirely AI-generated academic theses can be difficult for reviewers to distinguish from genuine student work without specialized detection tools, and these tools remain imperfect. Protecting the integrity of academic credentials remains an ongoing unresolved challenge.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
academic
ai-generated
build
fully
reliable
systems
detect
fake
thesis
dissertation
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
prevent
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Data centers placed in unconventional locations to save on cooling costs still face risks from environmental changes or accidents that traditional facilities don't. Making these systems fully resilient remains an unresolved engineering challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
data
cooling
systems
fully
environmental
haven
found
way
make
undersea
whether
philosophy-ethics
society-governance
mathematics-logic
resolved
technology-computing
