"Decision making in international development contexts is heavily influenced by economic and financial considerations. Investments in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) must compete for limited public and private sources with a myriad of other potential development investment opportunities. Unless the economic and financial case for such investments can be demonstrated, proponents of DRR will lack the basic information required for informed financial decision making. As a result, estimates documenting the economic costs and benefits of investments in DRR are of fundamental importance for decision making."