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
South & Central Asia, Asia
Mountainous terrain and low population density make fiber rollout economically unviable in many areas. Satellite internet and community mesh networks offer a faster path to connectivity.
economics-resources
asia
south-central-asia
broadband
digital
infrastructure
gaps
persist
remote
parts
central
south
technology-computing
remains
global-unspecified
rural
african
access
Major language models and voice assistants poorly support languages like Bengali, Vietnamese, or Tagalog, excluding large populations from digital tools. Building region-specific language datasets is a major open opportunity.
technology-computing
asia
vietnam
language
support
tools
languages
local
remains
weak
south
southeast
asian
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
african
digital
open
Southeast Asia, Asia
Warming waters, pollution, and destructive fishing practices are damaging reefs that millions depend on for fishing and tourism income. Coral restoration projects and marine protected area enforcement need expanded funding.
climate-environment
asia
southeast-asia
biodiversity
coral
marine
reef
degradation
threatens
coastal
livelihoods
southeast
fishing
communities
economics-resources
global-unspecified
bleaching
near
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Densely populated deltas like the Ganges-Brahmaputra and Mekong face increasing flooding and salinization of farmland. Adaptive infrastructure and salt-tolerant crop varieties could help communities adjust.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
sea
level
rise
threatens
low-lying
delta
regions
south
southeast
global-unspecified
african
remains
haven
coastal
infrastructure
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Rising temperatures combined with high humidity are pushing some regions toward conditions where outdoor work becomes dangerous. Heat-early-warning systems and outdoor worker protection policies need urgent development.
climate-environment
asia
south-southeast-asia
extreme
heatwaves
becoming
frequent
deadly
south
southeast
outdoor
rising
systems
economics-resources
society-governance
real
time
predicting
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Without citizenship or identity documents, affected populations cannot access education, healthcare, or formal employment. Digital identity verification systems designed for displaced populations could restore basic rights access.
social-civic-problems
asia
south-southeast-asia
statelessness
lack
legal
documentation
affect
millions
including
rohingya
identity
digital
society-governance
global-unspecified
access
systems
technology-computing
Ongoing tensions over areas like the South China Sea, Kashmir, and various Central Asian borders create persistent instability risks. Multilateral dispute-resolution frameworks and confidence-building data-sharing mechanisms could reduce tensions.
local-regional
asia
china
border
territorial
disputes
remain
unresolved
flashpoints
several
parts
tensions
rural
persist
south
remains
gaps
african
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Economic desperation and weak law enforcement enable trafficking for forced labor and exploitation across the region. Cross-border data-sharing and victim-support digital platforms could improve detection and rescue.
technology-computing
asia
south-southeast-asia
trafficking
human
networks
continue
exploit
vulnerable
populations
south
southeast
digital
global-unspecified
society-governance
african
economics-resources
labor
open
Southeast Asia, Asia
Weak enforcement capacity has allowed scam operations, sometimes linked to trafficking, to flourish in the region. Coordinated regional cybercrime task forces and stronger digital forensics capacity are urgently needed.
local-regional
asia
southeast-asia
cybercrime
has
regional
originating
parts
southeast
grown
major
global-unspecified
african
remains
africa
digital
illegal
Long-standing grievances in regions like Myanmar and parts of South Asia periodically escalate into violence and displacement. Community-level reconciliation programs paired with inclusive economic development could ease tensions.
social-civic-problems
asia
myanmar
tensions
parts
ethnic
religious
continue
fuel
conflict
several
long-standing
rural
global-unspecified
african
remains
south
remain
Understaffed courts and outdated processes mean cases can take over a decade to resolve, undermining access to justice. Digital case-management systems and virtual hearings could significantly speed up processing.
society-governance
asia
south-asia
cases
systems
judicial
backlogs
leave
millions
pending
south
asian
court
technology-computing
economics-resources
global-unspecified
digital
whether
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
The majority of workers lack formal contracts, social security, or legal protections, leaving them vulnerable to economic shocks. Digital tools that gradually formalize small businesses without heavy bureaucracy could extend protections.
economics-resources
asia
south-southeast-asia
informal
economy
dominates
employment
south
southeast
protections
majority
workers
african
global-unspecified
digital
technology-computing
lack
open
South & Southeast Asia, Asia
Factory workers, disproportionately women, frequently face unsafe conditions and low wages in export-oriented garment manufacturing. Independent digital labor-monitoring and grievance-reporting platforms could improve accountability.
technology-computing
asia
south-southeast-asia
garment
conditions
textile
industry
labor
south
southeast
often
fall
global-unspecified
digital
african
workers
informal
economics-resources
Pumping groundwater for irrigation consumes large amounts of electricity, creating a compounding resource strain in water-and-energy-scarce regions. Solar-powered efficient irrigation pumps could reduce both water and energy waste simultaneously.
climate-environment
asia
south-asia
waste
water-energy
nexus
inefficiencies
significant
resources
asian
agriculture
industry
irrigation
global-unspecified
urban
whether
water
african
open
Southeast Asia, Asia
Rising seas and stronger storms threaten to permanently displace communities that have lived in coastal areas for generations. Managed relocation planning and resilient livelihood diversification programs are urgently needed.
climate-environment
asia
southeast-asia
coastal
communities
small
island
southeast
face
growing
climate
displacement
economics-resources
global-unspecified
fishing
remote
african
open
South & Central Asia, Asia
Many households still burn solid fuels indoors for cooking and heating, causing significant respiratory illness, especially among women and children. Clean cookstove distribution programs need continued scaling and subsidy support.
climate-environment
asia
south-central-asia
cooking
heating
air
quality
inside
homes
indoor
remains
major
health
global-unspecified
african
access
health-biology
pollution
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
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
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
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