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
Chile, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for biotechnologies enabling the rapid development of vaccines against unknown future pathogens 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
south-america
chile
biotechnologies
enabling
rapid
development
vaccines
against
unknown
future
pathogens
field-ready
climate-environment
systems
methods
society-governance
barriers
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for governance models for managing the dual-use risks of advanced gene editing and synthetic biology 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
africa
ethiopia
models
governance
managing
dual-use
risks
advanced
gene
editing
synthetic
biology
climate-environment
methods
systems
barriers
solutions
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for methods for quantifying and reducing the climate impact of the global food system 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
europe
netherlands
methods
quantifying
reducing
climate
impact
food
system
robust
enabling
society-governance
systems
barriers
designs
solutions
assessing
open
Canada, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for governance models for shared management of transboundary aquifers and rivers 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
north-america
canada
governance
robust
models
shared
management
transboundary
aquifers
rivers
methods
enabling
solutions
systems
climate-environment
ensuring
Current approaches to nature-based solutions for landslide and erosion control on steep agricultural lands 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
poland
solutions
nature-based
landslide
erosion
control
steep
agricultural
lands
systemic
addressing
systems
climate-environment
enabling
approaches
under
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for methods for restoring coastal wetlands that maximize both carbon and biodiversity co-benefits 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
europe
france
biodiversity
methods
restoring
coastal
wetlands
maximize
both
carbon
co-benefits
overcoming
society-governance
solutions
systems
robust
enabling
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for materials for efficient atmospheric water generation integrated with existing roofs 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
japan
integrated
materials
efficient
atmospheric
water
generation
existing
roofs
pathways
despite
methods
systems
society-governance
barriers
designs
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for systems ensuring the safety and reliability of autonomous systems in healthcare delivery 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
oceania
fiji
systems
ensuring
safety
reliability
autonomous
healthcare
delivery
integrated
pathways
absence
solutions
climate-environment
technology-computing
economics-resources
governance
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for seasonal underground thermal storage for dense urban district systems. 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
samoa
seasonal
underground
thermal
storage
dense
urban
district
systems
deployable
technologies
solutions
methods
climate-environment
scalable
ensuring
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for governance frameworks for the responsible use of predictive policing and risk assessment tools 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
south-korea
governance
frameworks
responsible
predictive
policing
risk
assessment
tools
scalable
solutions
climate-environment
methods
systems
barriers
designs
open
Chile, South America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for complete proteins from agricultural lignocellulosic residues 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
chile
solutions
complete
proteins
agricultural
lignocellulosic
residues
systemic
addressing
absence
robust
systems
climate-environment
methods
enabling
governance
open
United Kingdom, Europe
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for biotechnologies enabling the conversion of organic waste into high-value proteins and materials. 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
united-kingdom
biotechnologies
enabling
conversion
organic
waste
high-value
proteins
materials
development
persistent
solutions
systems
technologies
scalable
methods
open
Ecuador, South America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for methods for assessing the resilience of food systems to simultaneous climate and geopolitical shocks 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
south-america
ecuador
systems
methods
assessing
resilience
food
simultaneous
climate
geopolitical
shocks
practical
society-governance
solutions
ensuring
designs
enabling
open
Honduras, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for methods for quantifying the health co-benefits of different climate mitigation strategies 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
north-america
honduras
methods
quantifying
health
co-benefits
different
climate
mitigation
strategies
development
absence
society-governance
solutions
systems
robust
enabling
open
Argentina, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for designs for energy storage that use only materials available in the Global South at scale 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
argentina
designs
energy
storage
only
materials
available
south
scale
development
methods
systems
society-governance
barriers
high
economics-resources
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for governance models preventing catastrophic accidents in high-risk dual-use research facilities. 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
portugal
governance
scalable
solutions
models
preventing
catastrophic
accidents
high-risk
dual-use
research
systems
methods
ensuring
practical
designs
open
Brazil, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for quantum-resistant cryptography practical for constrained critical IoT 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
brazil
barriers
quantum-resistant
cryptography
practical
constrained
critical
iot
overcoming
despite
recognition
methods
systems
society-governance
designs
high
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for biotechnologies for engineering organisms that contribute to the circular economy and waste reduction 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.
economics-resources
oceania
fiji
barriers
biotechnologies
engineering
organisms
contribute
circular
economy
waste
reduction
overcoming
climate-environment
methods
systems
society-governance
high
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for materials and designs for buildings that sequester carbon over their full life cycle 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
materials
designs
buildings
sequester
carbon
over
full
life
cycle
breakthrough
methods
systems
barriers
society-governance
high
open
Colombia, South America
Achieving real-time systems for detecting and responding to the illegal wildlife trade 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
south-america
colombia
systems
real-time
detecting
responding
illegal
wildlife
trade
breakthrough
approaches
achieving
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
real
time