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Digitising the landscape: Technology to improve integrity in natural resource management

Many information technology initiatives have emerged in recent years with the aim of improving natural resource management. These take a variety of technological forms designed either to directly curb corruption in resource extraction and production, or to enhance information flows, facilitate citizen participation, and hold specific actors accountable. Donors can play a role in connecting the divide between development practitioners, technologists, and researchers by supporting the use of tools in programs and evaluations.

27 March 2017
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Digitising the landscape: Technology to improve integrity in natural resource management

Main points

  • Technological tools have become an indispensible part of everyday life for citizens. The individuals who are negatively impacted by resource extraction can use technological tools to hold those in power to account
  • We cannot ignore the potential for Facebook, Twitter, Google Maps or Instagram to benefit resource management. Their widespread use makes them a potential power for efficient campaigns.
  • We have created a database of technological initiatives relevant for natural resource management. It has almost 400 examples of projects, organisations, and tools that apply technological innovations.
  • Use of technologies are often successful when combined with existing social structures like farmers-organisations, youth groups or online communities.
  • Donors can help connect the divide between development practitioners, technologists, and researchers by supporting the development and use of tools in programmes and evaluations.

Cite this publication


Dupuy, K.; Aarvik, P.; (2017) Digitising the landscape: Technology to improve integrity in natural resource management. Bergen: U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute (U4 Brief 2017:1)

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About the authors

Kendra Dupuy

Dr. Kendra Dupuy is a political economist working on research about natural resource and energy management, the education sector, and civil society. Formerly a Senior Adviser at U4, she is currently an affiliated researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute.

Per Aarvik

Per is an independent writer on applied digital technology for humanitarianism, development, governance and anti-corruption. Social media data, satellite imagery, geographical information systems, and applied artificial intelligence are among his interests. He holds a Master's degree in Democracy Building from the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen, Norway. His thesis focused on the potential of crowdsourced civil society election monitoring as a tool to combat election fraud. His background is from journalism, advertising, and higher design education – as a practitioner, educator, and in managerial roles. In recent years, he has led digital humanitarian work during disasters and in democracy projects.

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All views in this text are the author(s)’, and may differ from the U4 partner agencies’ policies.

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

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