In a crisis, what shapes outcomes is not only what happens—but what people hear, who they trust, and how they act on information.

“We were going to the local authorities, who are supposed to give us the correct information… but then we realized that the information they had wasn’t actually accurate. So, it was totally confusing for us to get to the places.” — Bolivian community member

In Bolivia, a recent research by community researchers highlights how crucial clear, reliable, and accessible information is during emergencies. Community trust towards those who support them is hindered as they fail to access and respond on time due to inaccurate or false information.

Trust is not only affected between communities and those who aim at supporting them, the vacuum of updated and trusted information sow mistrust and conflict between community members. Yet, Community Researchers found that instead of waiting passively for solutions, some organize and take action by sharing accurate information themselves. They fill the gaps when official channels don’t reach everyone promptly.

Building resilience involves learning how to handle information. “Facing the situation without panicking, questioning information before sharing it, and trusting treatments supported by scientific evidence.” Sharing such messages in ways that respect each community’s culture and language increases the likelihood that people understand and trust what they hear. 

These insights from Bolivia, surfaced through the Community Intelligence Network , connect closely with the World Disasters Report 2026 which highlights that harmful information is a crisis of its own and managing this challenge is now a key part of humanitarian work. It requires cooperation between governments, organizations, and communities.

The report echoes the Bolivian Community Researchers’ insights: communities are finding their own ways to respond. They create local radios and communication networks that share verified updates, for example. One quote from the Report sums it up: “We could continue rescuing people because we knew how to handle it.” These local solutions build trust and help everyone respond better when disasters strike. They build on the understanding of complex social dynamics that lead people to accept or reject information as, nowadays “truth is no longer negotiated through facts, but through social validation”.

Digital spaces make the situation incredibly more challenging as false information and rumors spread “like wildfires”: quickly and widely.

In addition to designing humanitarian responses with the communities themselves, new tools and strategies are needed to keep up (for instance, monitoring the flow of information in real time is critical).

The CIN’s findings from Bolivia, and the World Disasters Report together, show how understanding the way information moves through communities is just as important as the humanitarian aid itself. Building trusted communication, respecting local contexts, and working hand in hand with communities in verifying and sharing accurate and trustworthy information makes the whole response stronger and more effective, reaching those who need support in time.

The World Disasters Report 2026 offers important lessons and inspiring examples that can help us meet these challenges everywhere: explore the World Disasters Report 2026.

Learn more about the Community Intelligence Network.

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