World Solve

The problem of coastal-inland gaps remaining continues to affect hundreds of millions of people and undermines progress on multiple Sustainable Development Goals. Existing responses remain fragmented, under-resourced and poorly adapted to local contexts. A strong solution must operate effectively under severe constraints of skilled personnel, infrastructure, electricity and connectivity. It should define clear measurable outcomes, identify possible unintended harms, and demonstrate how the intervention can be sustained by local institutions long after initial funding ends.

coastal cities threatened by rising seas remains one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Systems currently in place are inadequate for the scale and complexity of the problem. A successful approach must work where resources are scarcest and demonstrate clear, measurable results. It should identify possible harms, respect local agency, and show how the solution can be maintained and expanded by the communities it is meant to serve.

Growing desalination could produce concentrated brine and chemical waste at scales that threaten coastal ecosystems. The challenge is improving recovery and discharge methods while accounting for cumulative regional impacts. Decisions must account for people who will inherit long-lived infrastructure, environmental changes, and institutional commitments. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.

Growing desalination could produce concentrated brine and chemical waste at scales that threaten coastal ecosystems. The challenge is improving recovery and discharge methods while accounting for cumulative regional impacts. The solution must produce useful coordination and accountability while minimizing collection of sensitive personal and behavioral data. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.

Growing desalination could produce concentrated brine and chemical waste at scales that threaten coastal ecosystems. The challenge is improving recovery and discharge methods while accounting for cumulative regional impacts. The design must remain functional when standards, trade routes, data access, and diplomatic cooperation are unreliable. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.

Growing desalination could produce concentrated brine and chemical waste at scales that threaten coastal ecosystems. The challenge is improving recovery and discharge methods while accounting for cumulative regional impacts. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.

Offshore energy, aquaculture, data centers, and habitation may expand beyond coastal jurisdictions. The challenge is governing pollution, labor, safety, taxation, rescue, and ecological effects in legally complex areas. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.

rising sea levels threatening coastal populations remains one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Systems currently in place are inadequate for the scale and complexity of the problem. A successful approach must work where resources are scarcest and demonstrate clear, measurable results. It should identify possible harms, respect local agency, and show how the solution can be maintained and expanded by the communities it is meant to serve.

Overfishing has collapsed several near-shore fish stocks critical to coastal livelihoods in Chile, and existing quota systems are poorly enforced due to limited monitoring of small-scale fishing fleets.

Uncertainties in ice dynamics, bedrock conditions, and ocean–ice interactions make it hard to forecast tipping points and metres of future sea-level rise. Better grounding-zone measurements and data-assimilation tools could sharpen projections.

Sea-level rise and extreme rainfall threaten settlements and infrastructure. Climate-risk mapping and relocation-planning tools can guide adaptation.

Untreated sewage pollutes rivers and coasts. Decentralized treatment plants and enforcement are needed.

Cities expand into floodplains and coasts. Climate-informed spatial planning can reduce exposure.

Runoff and sewage damage reefs and fisheries. Integrated coastal zone management can address this.

Marine life ingests or becomes entangled in waste. Upstream waste reduction and cleanup technologies are needed.

Dependence on fishing increases vulnerability. Blue-economy diversification can help.

Overfishing and climate shocks leave fishers economically exposed without alternative income sources. Blue-economy entrepreneurship programs could create new coastal jobs.

Tourism revenue often bypasses nearby communities, limiting support for conservation. Community-owned tourism enterprises and transparent revenue-sharing mechanisms could improve inclusion.

Rising seas and storms may force relocation of neighborhoods, but proactive plans are rare. Scenario-based urban resilience planning and relocation frameworks are urgently needed.

Rapid consumption growth combined with inadequate waste management sends huge volumes of plastic into waterways each year. River-cleaning technology and plastic-to-value recycling startups could intercept waste before it reaches oceans.