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
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for institutional designs that reduce the influence of short-term interests on long-term policy 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.
society-governance
asia
india
institutional
designs
reduce
influence
short-term
interests
long-term
policy
practical
realization
climate-environment
methods
systems
barriers
high
Informal waste pickers in Philippines recover a substantial share of recyclable material but operate without legal recognition, safety equipment, or fair pricing from recycling buyers.
economics-resources
asia
philippines
informal
formalizing
waste-picker
livelihoods
waste
pickers
recover
substantial
share
settlements
systems
picker
climate-environment
global-unspecified
urban
Current approaches to scalable restoration of degraded dryland ecosystems under intensifying aridity 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
africa
ghana
under
scalable
restoration
degraded
dryland
ecosystems
intensifying
aridity
development
current
systems
climate-environment
enabling
solutions
methods
open
Guatemala, North America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for symbiont-mediated coral heat tolerance enhancement protocols 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
north-america
guatemala
symbiont-mediated
coral
heat
tolerance
enhancement
protocols
scalable
solutions
despite
recognition
methods
systems
society-governance
barriers
designs
open
Ecuador, South America
Current approaches to selective critical-ion extraction from low-grade brines 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
south-america
ecuador
selective
critical-ion
extraction
low-grade
brines
integrated
pathways
current
approaches
either
systems
climate-environment
enabling
under
solutions
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for antibiotic-free recirculating aquaculture with zero nutrient discharge. 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
nepal
antibiotic-free
recirculating
aquaculture
zero
nutrient
discharge
deployable
technologies
persistent
gap
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
practical
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for education systems that equip learners with the skills needed for a circular and regenerative economy 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
europe
spain
systems
education
equip
learners
skills
needed
circular
regenerative
economy
breakthrough
solutions
climate-environment
ensuring
methods
enabling
open
United States, North America
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for autonomous systems for monitoring and maintaining critical undersea infrastructure. 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
north-america
united-states
practical
autonomous
systems
monitoring
maintaining
critical
undersea
infrastructure
realization
persistent
solutions
methods
ensuring
climate-environment
governance
open
Mexico, North America
Achieving technologies for verifying compliance with international environmental agreements 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.
climate-environment
north-america
mexico
technologies
verifying
compliance
international
environmental
agreements
practical
realization
achieving
meaningful
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
methods
solutions
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for protocols for the responsible development and deployment of autonomous systems in civilian applications 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
europe
poland
systems
solutions
protocols
responsible
development
deployment
autonomous
civilian
applications
scalable
climate-environment
governance
methods
ensuring
enabling
Farmers in India apply fertilizer without knowing their soil's actual nutrient profile because lab testing is too slow and expensive, resulting in both wasted input costs and degraded soil over time.
health-biology
asia
india
building
affordable
soil-health
diagnostics
smallholders
soil
farmers
apply
fertilizer
health
climate-environment
global-unspecified
way
philosophy-ethics
whether
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for governance frameworks ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of advanced surveillance. 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
zambia
governance
frameworks
ensuring
transparency
accountability
advanced
surveillance
deployable
technologies
persistent
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
enabling
open
Chile, South America
Current approaches to methods for assessing the cumulative impacts of climate change and other stressors on human health 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
south-america
chile
climate-change
systems
methods
assessing
cumulative
impacts
climate
change
stressors
human
society-governance
enabling
under
solutions
designs
open
Colombia, South America
Fast-growing cities in Colombia regularly flood due to undersized or absent stormwater infrastructure, with retrofit costs far exceeding current municipal budgets.
climate-environment
south-america
colombia
stormwater
infrastructure
cities
building
resilient
flood-prone
fast-growing
regularly
flood
society-governance
african
urban
global-unspecified
change
governance
open
Guatemala, North America
Achieving protocols for the responsible sharing and use of large-scale human genomic and health data 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
north-america
guatemala
protocols
responsible
sharing
large-scale
human
genomic
health
data
scalable
solutions
systems
climate-environment
society-governance
methods
technology-computing
open
Canada, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for open-source platforms for collaborative climate model development and evaluation 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.
technology-computing
north-america
canada
open-source
platforms
collaborative
climate
model
development
evaluation
breakthrough
approaches
absence
society-governance
solutions
systems
climate-environment
methods
open
Colombia, South America
Current approaches to point-of-care multiplex diagnostics for priority AMR pathogens 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.
health-biology
south-america
colombia
point-of-care
multiplex
diagnostics
priority
amr
pathogens
overcoming
barriers
current
approaches
society-governance
systems
climate-environment
enabling
field
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for solutions for providing safe and dignified housing for climate-displaced populations 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
asia
nepal
barriers
solutions
providing
safe
dignified
housing
climate-displaced
populations
overcoming
despite
methods
systems
society-governance
economics-resources
high
open
Bolivia, South America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for earth-abundant multi-day energy storage chemistries 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
south-america
bolivia
solutions
earth-abundant
multi-day
energy
storage
chemistries
scalable
absence
robust
context-adapted
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
designs
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for nature-based solutions for flood risk reduction that also support biodiversity and livelihoods 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.
climate-environment
asia
nepal
biodiversity
solutions
nature-based
flood
risk
reduction
also
support
livelihoods
scalable
society-governance
systems
methods
nature
based
