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
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
Current approaches to real-time digital twins of entire river basins for adaptive management 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.
technology-computing
asia
thailand
real-time
digital
twins
entire
river
basins
adaptive
management
integrated
pathways
society-governance
systems
climate-environment
enabling
approaches
open
Colombia, South America
Current approaches to housing and land systems that prevent displacement during climate-driven migration 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.
social-civic-problems
south-america
colombia
systems
housing
land
prevent
displacement
during
climate-driven
migration
practical
realization
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
enabling
under
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for institutional designs that make long-term investments in public health infrastructure politically sustainable 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.
health-biology
oceania
samoa
public-health
institutional
designs
make
long-term
investments
public
health
infrastructure
politically
sustainable
climate-environment
society-governance
methods
systems
Achieving circular design rules and tracking systems for high-value consumer electronics 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
africa
senegal
systems
circular
design
rules
tracking
high-value
consumer
electronics
systemic
solutions
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
ensuring
methods
open
Ecuador, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for mechanisms for aligning the incentives of technology companies with broader societal goals 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
south-america
ecuador
mechanisms
aligning
incentives
technology
companies
broader
societal
goals
integrated
pathways
methods
systems
barriers
society-governance
designs
Achieving systems ensuring the long-term stewardship and accessibility of scientific knowledge and 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.
local-regional
africa
dr-congo
systems
ensuring
long-term
stewardship
accessibility
scientific
knowledge
data
development
achieving
society-governance
economics-resources
climate-environment
technology-computing
designs
Achieving pathways for transitioning fossil-fuel dependent regions to diversified economies 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
asia
china
pathways
transitioning
fossil-fuel
dependent
regions
diversified
economies
scalable
solutions
achieving
climate-environment
systems
society-governance
methods
designs
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for pathways for achieving high rates of material circularity in the construction sector. 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
indonesia
pathways
achieving
high
rates
material
circularity
construction
sector
overcoming
barriers
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
practical
Current approaches to interventions that improve the quality and equity of primary healthcare delivery 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
europe
spain
equity
interventions
improve
quality
primary
healthcare
delivery
scalable
solutions
current
systems
climate-environment
enabling
approaches
under
Design systems that remain usable for people with limited literacy, disability, low connectivity, language barriers, or insecure documentation. The challenge is especially acute in remote island communities, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
social-civic-problems
asia
indonesia
remote
island
communities
inclusive
access
digital
public
services
connectivity
design
economics-resources
society-governance
systems
Create conservation and restoration approaches that protect biodiversity while sustaining the people whose food, income, and culture depend on those ecosystems. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
economics-resources
africa
nigeria
biodiversity
ecosystems
informal
settlements
protection
supporting
local
livelihoods
create
conservation
restoration
communities
society-governance
public
social-civic-problems
Develop practical data collection, modeling, public deliberation, and evaluation tools for decisions currently made with incomplete or inaccessible evidence. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
society-governance
africa
nigeria
evidence
decisions
informal
settlements
local
difficult
policy
develop
practical
data
economics-resources
communities
public
worker
Create safe, economically viable collection, sorting, repair, reuse, and material-recovery systems suited to decentralized local markets. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
economics-resources
africa
nigeria
local
informal
settlements
circular
recovery
overlooked
waste
streams
create
safe
society-governance
communities
might
actors
public
Develop enforceable, worker-centered protections for safety, pay, benefits, bargaining, and grievance resolution outside conventional employment. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
economics-resources
africa
nigeria
informal
settlements
worker
protection
fragmented
economies
develop
enforceable
worker-centered
protections
communities
society-governance
public
social-civic-problems
remote