While it is generally assumed that ecosystems, such as mangroves, coral reefs or sand dunes, play an important role in reducing risks from hazard events, there are few comprehensive studies that gather scientific evidence on the services these ecosystems provide, and the functions they fulfill for disaster risk reduction. The newly published article “Scientific evidence for ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction” in Nature Sustainability addresses this knowledge gap. 28 experts from different disciplines, including 6 authors from UNU-EHS, joined forces for a review of 529 English-language peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2019 on topics related to ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR).