World Solve

indoor air pollution killing people 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.

Solid-fuel use causes indoor air pollution and health harm. Clean stoves and fuels need better distribution and affordability.

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.

Over a billion people in Asia still rely on wood, dung, and coal for daily cooking, causing severe indoor air pollution and chronic respiratory illnesses, primarily affecting women and young children.

GPS doesn't work well inside buildings, and alternative indoor positioning technologies haven't achieved the same reliability and ease of deployment needed for widespread augmented reality navigation use. Solving indoor positioning at scale remains unresolved.

Effective air purification technology exists but often remains too expensive for widespread use in low-income housing, where indoor air pollution can be a serious health concern. Making this technology genuinely affordable remains an unresolved public health challenge.

Develop affordable, durable coatings, roofs, walls, and textiles that reduce indoor heat without high energy use or toxic material tradeoffs.

Develop accurate sensors, sampling methods, building diagnostics, and remediation guidance for homes, schools, and workplaces.

Develop accurate sensors and interventions for biomass smoke, kerosene, mold, and particulate exposure in low-income homes without assuming reliable internet or grid power.

Most households in Peru still cook with biomass fuels, driving deforestation and indoor air pollution, while clean cookstove adoption remains low due to upfront cost and unfamiliar cooking behavior.