Effective communication and strong collaboration amongst organisations are essential tools for disaster management responses and climate change adaptation. Complex situations such as disaster preparation and response require trust-based and collaborative networks. Given that mutual trust and willingness to share information are central to successful disaster management, it is crucial to increase our understanding of how to build and sustain network trust and collaboration. Based on a comprehensive literature review, including both theoretical and empirical studies, we explore the role and impact of trust on facilitating improved network co-ordination in emergency responses to climate-driven events. Social identity theory and cultural cognition theory are applied as a framework for understanding trust development, particularly in the context of the Asia-Pacific region. The paper identifies obstacles to trust development, and then outlines key methods by which trust can be established and enhanced to improve communication and network effectiveness in disaster management. These findings provide critical information for policy makers and network participants with regard to building network trust to better underpin disaster management and climate change adaptation in the Asia-Pacific region.