More than 8,000 homes in Carmarthenshire are at risk of flooding, according to a new report.

The National Infrastructure Commission for Wales (NICW) released its report, "Building Resilience to Flooding in Wales by 2050," on October 17.

The report states that 8,617 properties in Carmarthenshire are currently undefended and at risk from surface flooding, with this number expected to rise to 11,386 in the next century as climate change worsens.

The report outlines 17 recommendations to Welsh ministers to help future-proof the country against increasing flooding risks over the next 25 years.

The recommendations focus on natural solutions, with an emphasis on community integration to increase Wales' resilience to flooding.

Eluned Parrott, the lead commissioner on the project, said: "As part of our work, we visited some of the communities who have been affected by flooding in recent years.

"The impacts felt have been devastating, but we also learned that these communities are not content to be passive victims and are ready to act.

"What’s more, during the eighteen months that we’ve been working on this project, it has become increasingly clear that we cannot 'concrete' our way out of the risks we face.

"We must adopt more holistic solutions, such as restoring the natural environment’s ability to store water higher in river catchments, and empowering local communities to take action."

The report's recommendations are organised into four categories: governance, structure and policy; collaboration, partnerships and community; funding and capacity; and awareness, skills and data.

To foster regional collaboration, the report suggests engaging communities in flood-related decisions through initiatives like citizen juries and a new water resilience forum.

The report also proposes the appointment of a water commissioner and a 30-year resilience strategy to drive innovative flood solutions across Wales.

To boost awareness and skills, the report recommends integrating climate adaptation into Wales' school curriculums and providing regional flood resilience training.

The report also suggests enhancing funding and capacity by diversifying funding sources and introducing Welsh Government subsidies to help homeowners invest in flood resilience measures.

All 17 recommendations can be accessed in full on the NICW website.

Dr Eurgain Powell, lead commissioner, said: "Although flooding can have a devastating effect on people’s lives, awareness of flood risk; how to access information; and what actions local governance and real people need to take to respond to flooding, remains very low.

"To resolve this, our work has shown that we need a different approach — one that works with people and nature to drive real change.

"Ultimately, we believe that success will be driven by good communication and a shared responsibility and sense of urgency between government, business and communities.

"We hope the findings of this report will empower communities to voice and act on their own futures, with the support of Welsh Government — to ensure a resilient, dynamic, and abundant future for generations to come."

To read the full report, visit the NICW website.