水利部答每经问：去年水利项目吸引社会资本创历史新高

Core Viewpoint - The Chinese government is accelerating the construction of a modern water network to enhance flood disaster prevention, water resource allocation, and urban-rural water supply security, as emphasized in the recent State Council meetings [1] Investment and Financing - Water infrastructure investment has exceeded 1 trillion yuan for four consecutive years, with social capital attracted to water projects reaching 548.5 billion yuan during the 14th Five-Year Plan, an increase of 86.4% compared to the 13th Five-Year Plan [2][4] - During the 14th Five-Year Plan, total investment in water infrastructure reached 5.68 trillion yuan, with local government special bonds, bank loans, and social capital accounting for 2.05 trillion yuan, or 36.1% of the total [3] - The average annual allocation of local government special bonds and bank loans during the 14th Five-Year Plan was 327.9 billion yuan, 2.6 times the average of the 13th Five-Year Plan [3] Social Capital Participation - The government is guiding localities to use various models such as franchising and equity cooperation to attract social capital for water infrastructure projects, with notable examples including partnerships for water resource allocation in Qinghai and integrated urban-rural water supply projects in Guangdong [4] - The introduction of innovative financing models, such as "water-saving loans" and "water rights loans," is aimed at enhancing the market financing capabilities of water projects [3][4] Happiness River and Lake Construction - The Ministry of Water Resources has made significant progress in the construction of "Happiness Rivers and Lakes," with over 1,700 completed by 2025 and a total of more than 5,500 [5][6] - A national standard for evaluating Happiness Rivers and Lakes has been established, providing operational guidelines for local implementations [6] - The construction of Happiness Rivers and Lakes is integrated with local economic development and environmental improvement, creating high-quality waterfront spaces that support socio-economic growth [6]