Published in Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, this paper uses the the focused synthesis method to map the intersections between land tenure insecurity and vulnerability to climate induced disaster in southern Africa. The paper also identifies the opportunities tenure reforms hold for vulnerability reduction, contending that land tenure is a critical component of the milieu of factors – economic, social, cultural, institutional, political and even psychological – that are known to shape people's vulnerability and environment. The study finds that land tenure reforms can help to reduce vulnerability and enhance community resilience to climate change. In this regard, the article outlines how tenure reforms can help build diverse household livelihoods, improve environmental management, particularly in the rural areas, and encourage investment in robust housing and safe neighbourhoods among the urban poor, all of which are integral to the region’s response to climate change.