Disasters cost lives and disrupt socio-economic activities and livelihoods, causing important economic costs each time they occur. Major earthquakes in Chile, Italy, Japan and Mexico; the disastrous 2017 hurricane season in the United States and the Caribbean; and wildfires in Canada, Portugal and Greece have all left devastation in their wake. Meanwhile, governments continue to invest in disaster risk management, building dikes, sea barriers and dams, strengthening regulations for building codes and land use, and communicating risks to stakeholders. To ensure that disaster risk management policies are effective and address the right priorities, policy makers need solid evidence on damages avoided as well as on resources already engaged in managing disaster risks.