Technology Alone Does Not Build Resilience — Trust Does
In development aid, especially when using advanced technologies like AI or satellite data, success does not come from innovation alone — it comes from trust.
We often assume that if a tool is accurate and cutting-edge, people will naturally use it. But in reality, even the best technology can fall flat if it does not resonate with those it is meant to help.
Across our work in Southeast Asia, Bhutan, and the Pacific, one thing has been clear: trust is not a result of success — it is a requirement for it. And more than that, trust is what makes scaling possible.
Technology might be built to scale, but adoption depends on whether people believe in it, see its value, and feel ownership. That kind of trust takes time — but without it, even the smartest tools won’t stick.
Figure 1 Stakeholders reviewing geospatial wildfire data during a training session in Bhutan. Trust begins when people can engage directly with the tools that shape decisions.
Stakeholder Mapping Is the First Step Toward Scale
Before we share a model or analyse data, we start with people. Stakeholder mapping helps us understand not just who is involved, but what they need, what influence they have, and what might hold them back.
In one recent project, we worked with everyone from national disaster agencies to local volunteers and universities. But mapping stakeholders is just the beginning. Each group needs a different kind of engagement strategy. If a tool has not been shaped with its users in mind, it will not be used. Good mapping is what makes scale possible.
Figure 2 This matrix shows directly, and indirectly impacted stakeholders identified across Laos and West Sumatra during a regional climate resilience initiative.
Fast Tech, Slow Trust—And Why That is OK
Rolling out technology can happen quickly — but meaningful engagement and adoption usually take more time.
In Bhutan, we developed a forest fire exposure index that had to align not just with government systems, but also with institutional capacity. Our first project — focused on mapping climate risk — was funded by UK Aid and the World Bank and administered by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC). It laid the groundwork for collaboration. When we later scaled up the work nationwide under ADPC’s iCARE program, those early relationships made it possible.
Trust built over time became the foundation for scale. Government partners shifted from users to collaborators. Engagement did not stop when the first project ended — it deepened, because the collaboration held real value.
We are seeing the same pattern in Laos, Indonesia, and now the Pacific. Engagement often begins slowly — sometimes indirectly — but that early investment shapes everything that follows.
Slow engagement is not a delay. It is what makes innovation stick.
Figure 3 Government and agency representatives in Bhutan participating in a geospatial capacity-building workshop.
Scaling What Works Means Scaling Trust
Everyone wants their project to scale. But not everything should be scaled the same way. When we talk about scaling geospatial tools or AI-driven insights, we are not just talking about replication — we are also talking about adoption. That means designing for trust at every level:
- Technical trust: Are the methods transparent and scientifically sound?
- Institutional t rust: Do partners feel heard, respected, and included?
- Operational trust: Is there enough capacity and confidence to keep using the tool after the project ends?
These are the factors that determine whether a technology becomes embedded — or forgotten.
