Nearly 3,000 homes in Ceredigion are at risk of surface flooding, according to a new report.

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

The report states that 2,942 undefended properties are currently at risk of surface flooding, with this figure set to increase to 3,926 over the next century as the effects of climate change worsen.

To combat this, the report presents practical recommendations for Welsh ministers to protect the whole of Wales against the growing risks of flooding over the next 25 years.

The report outlines 17 recommendations within a Future Flooding Framework for Wales, emphasising natural solutions and community integration as key to increasing Wales’ resilience to flooding.

Eluned Parrott, 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.

"During the 18 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."

To achieve this, the report lists the recommendations within four key categories: governance, structure and policy; collaboration, partnerships, and community; funding and capacity; and awareness, skills and data.

To drive regional collaboration, the report recommends engaging communities directly in flood-related decisions, with initiatives like citizen juries and a new water resilience forum.

On the governance side, the report calls for the appointment of a water commissioner and a 30-year resilience strategy to drive Wales-wide, innovative flood solutions.

To boost awareness and skills, the report suggests integrating climate adaptation into Wales’ school curriculums and providing flood resilience training at a regional level.

Lastly, to enhance funding and capacity, it recommends diversifying funding sources and introducing Welsh Government subsidies to help homeowners invest in flood resilience measures.

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."

The full report can be accessed on the NICW website.