07 August 2020 | Global Stem Festival (English)

Problem Statements

Welcome participants! In this document, you will find some problems relating to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These have been grouped into the five themes we have been discussing in our weekly newsletters:

  • Education
  • Equality
  • Economic Development
  • Climate and Energy
  • Health

If you have missed a newsletter or want to find out more about these themes, check out the resources page of the GSF website here.

Your challenge is to pick one of the below problems to solve using the design thinking framework we have introduced. This framework will help you identify affected groups, critically assess their challenges, and analyse impactful solutions. . For a recap of the design thinking framework, check out these videos here.

We encourage you to be as creative and innovative as you can when solving your chosen problem!

Feel free to create and solve your unique problem if you don’t want to choose any of the below. Think about problems you can see in your local community.

For guidance on how to submit your solution, please visit the Submission page. The deadline to submit is 30 Aug 2021.

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers to any of the problems, and your solution can be in any form! For example, you could create a video, a picture, a story, an app, a model or anything else you like! For further information on how to submit your solution, please click here.

Good luck!

5-12 age group:

Climate and sustainability

  • Global warming is a rise in global temperatures caused by increasing amounts of greenhouse gases. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a way to make people more aware of global warming? (You could make a poster or create a video)
  • Fashion companies produce 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions every year. Using the design thinking framework, can you create an item of fashion or accessory? (You can do this by making new items from clothes that no longer fit or using items you already own)
  • One-third of all food produced is wasted. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a way to turn food waste into something useful? (You can experiment to find ways to reduce food waste)
  • Cities like London, Paris and New Delhi produce lots of greenhouse gases due to many cars on the road and people consuming energy. Using the design thinking framework, can you create a model of your sustainable city? (You can use this as inspiration https://learning.open-city.org.uk/)
  • As living things evolve, some animals become extinct, or die out completely. Extinction is a natural process. However, scientists believe that human activities have been causing animals to become extinct faster. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a solution or activities that we could carry out in our daily lives to slow down the loss of biodiversity

Education

  • STEM is a way of learning that includes the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a way to teach a friend about something you have learned related to science, technology, engineering or maths? (You could make a poster or create a video)
  • Experiments are a great way to learn new ideas. Can you create your experiment for something you want to learn about using the design thinking framework (https://www.sciencefun.org/kidszone/experiments/)
  • In low-income countries, 30% of adults cannot read or write, which makes it difficult to communicate important messages such as the need to wash your hands regularly. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a way to share the importance of regular hand washing without using any words?
  • Many rural schools in developing countries don’t have access to important facilities and materials such as bathrooms, playgrounds, books, pencils, etc. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a way to support children with their learning in developing countries? (Think of ways to get books and other materials to your classmates)

Health

  • Healthy snacks can provide energy during the day, decrease hunger, and prevent overeating during mealtime. Fruits and Vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and fibre - all of which are required for a balanced diet. Using the design thinking framework, can you create  healthy snacks using a recipe? (check out these recipes https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes)
  • It was challenging to purchase face masks at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic due to the limited supply and significant demand. Using the design thinking framework, can you create your masks from household items to help prevent the spread of COVID 19?
  • The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that young people should do at least an average of 60 minutes per day of physical activity. Using the design thinking framework,can you create an exercise routine that helps you, or your parents or your grandparents stay fit?
  • One of the targets of SDG 3 (Good health and well-being) is to reduce the number of injuries relating to road traffic accidents. Currently, the world is not on track to meet this target. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a way to reduce the number of injuries caused by road traffic accidents?
  • One of the targets of SDG 3 (Good health and well-being) is to promote mental health and well-being. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a way to help people improve their mental health and well-being?

Economic Growth

  • Innovation and the invention of new products can help the economy grow. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of an innovative way to improve affordable access to renewable energy in rural communities?
  • About half of the urban population doesn’t have convenient access to public transport. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a way to improve access to public transportation?
  • During the COVID 19 pandemic, restaurants, shops and other businesses had to shut down. If you could start your own business during the pandemic, what would it be, and how would you make it sustainable?
  • Access to food, shelter and clothing are considered fundamental human rights and needs. Approximately 36% of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty (minimal to no access to these basics). Using the design thinking framework, can you think of ways to ensure that every person has access to basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter?

Equality

  • Inequality means when two groups of people are not treated equally, for example, sometimes men get paid more to do the same job as women. Can you think of other examples of inequality and using the design thinking framework, think of how you might change this? (Think about gender, age, socio-economic, disabilities, and other things that define inequalities amongst people).
  • The Paralympic Games first took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960 and featured over400 athletes with disabilities from 23 countries. Since then, they have taken place every four years. Using the Design Thinking Framework, can you think of any other way to promote inclusivity for people with disabilities?
  • Women currently hold 5.8% of CEO positions in the top 500 companies in the United States. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a way to increase the representation of women in leadership positions?
  • Seven hundred million people around the world live on less than $1.90 a day. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of ways wealthy people can support those in poverty?


13-18 years:

Climate and sustainability

  • Fast fashion is a design, manufacturing, and marketing method focused on rapidly producing high volumes of clothing. The fashion industry produces 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions every year, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to minimize the impact the fashion industry has on our environment
  • Over the past few years, various nations have seen an increase in deadly landslides and floods as a result of deforestation, mining, and climate change. As a result, over 31,000 species are at risk of extinction.Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to address impacted areas to ensure life (human and/or animal) is protected.
  • Each year, vast amounts of rubbish and other pollutants enter the ocean. More than 80 per cent of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or seas without any pollution removal. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to remove these pollutants before they can impact marine life.
  • Rapid globalisation and industrialisation has led to exponential growth in the number of people living in cities. The world’s cities occupy just 3% of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80% of energy consumption and 75% of carbon emissions. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to make cities more sustainable
  • Climate change has led to an increase in food insecurity driven by decreasing agricultural productivity. Sustainable food production is crucial to help alleviate hunger and an estimated 2 billion people in the world did not have regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food in 2019. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to solve this problem.

Education

  • SDG 4 relates to ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all yet 617 million youth worldwide lack basic mathematics and literacy skills. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to bridge this gap.
  • A disability can be defined as a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. Children with disabilities were 19% less likely to achieve minimum proficiency in reading than those without disabilities. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to solve this problem.
  • Shutting down schools as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused an inequality in the provision of education among students. 1.78 million students in the UK alone lack access to a laptop at home, causing them to fall behind in their education. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to bridge the gap for those who are now returning to school and did not have sufficient resources available while home- schooling.
  • Based on data between 2017 and 2019, globally, more than a fifth of primary schools do not have access to basic drinking water and more than a third do not have basic handwashing facilities. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to help address access to these facilities.


Health

  • Maternal deaths resulting from complications arising from pregnancy are a leading contributor for deaths among women across the globe. Every day in 2017, approximately 810 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to reduce this statistic
  • Malnourished children have a higher risk of death. Nutrition-related factors contribute to about 45% of deaths in children under-5 years of age. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to solve this problem.
  • According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 2 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets or latrines. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to solve this problem.
  • Due to the pandemic, digital healthcare has become a primary model for delivering healthcare to patients. In the year 2021 alone, the global digital health market is expected to see a 37.1% spike in growth; however, residents of rural areas and developing countries are often limited in their ability to access healthcare and treatment due to geographic obstacles and/or a lack of infrastructure. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to solve this problem

Economic Development

  • Both the global and local economies have been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Some estimates suggest world GDP fell by approximately 6% in 2020. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to boost economic growth.
  • The digital economy has experienced exponential growth over the last few decades. Now, the digital economy is worth US $11.5 trillion globally, equivalent to 15.5 percent of global GDP. However, 16% of the global population does not have access to mobile broadband networks, limiting their access to a number of digital goods and services.. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to solve this problem.
  • If you could start your own business during the pandemic, what would it be and how would you make it sustainable?
  • Due to global warming and rising sea levels, the risk of flooding is increasing day by day. Coastal flooding could threaten as much as 20% of the world's GDP by 2100. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to minimise the economic impact of flooding.

Equality

  • Despite so many years of efforts, there remains a division between wealthy people and those living in poverty, especially in developing countries. In 2016, 22 per cent of global income was distributed across 1% of the global population. In the same year, 10% of global income was distributed across 50% of the global population. What steps should we take to ensure that every human is able to fulfill their basic survival needs such as food, clothing and shelter.
  • Despite making up only 16 per cent of the global population, people in high-income nations have gotten 47 per cent of all vaccine doses. That is in contrast to people in lower-income nations, who have gotten just 0.2 per cent of all vaccine doses, despite making up 9 per cent of the world’s population. Using the design thinking framework, can you think of a solution to solve this problem.
  • Although there are more women than ever in the labour market, there are still large inequalities in some regions, with women systematically denied the same work rights as men. The global gender pay gap stands at 23 per cent globally and without decisive action, it will take another 68 years to achieve equal pay. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution to solve this problem.
  • Over one billion people – about 15% of the global population – live with some form of disability and this number is increasing.  People with disabilities experience poorer health outcomes, have less access to education and work opportunities, and are more likely to live in poverty than those without. Using the design thinking framework, create a solution that can provide access to basic services for people with disabilities.