The Dimension of People’s Life and Health in the Theory of Forests as “Four Repositories”

The theory of forests as “four repositories” — that is, the shorthand for forests as “water reservoirs, grain repositories, money repositories, and carbon sinks” — is an important exposition by Xi Jinping on the value and function of forests and an organic component of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. In recent years, Xi Jinping has successively put forward that forests are not only water reservoirs, money repositories, and grain repositories, but also carbon sinks, and that forests are a great treasure house integrating water reservoirs, grain repositories, money repositories, and carbon sinks, vividly summarizing the multiple values and multiple functions of forests. In 2024, when participating in voluntary tree-planting activities, he further pointed out that the role of China’s forests as a “treasure house” has not been fully played, and that the better linkage of forests as “water reservoirs, money repositories, grain repositories, and carbon sinks” should be promoted. In 2025, when participating in voluntary tree-planting activities, he again emphasized promoting the linkage of the “four repositories” of forests as water reservoirs, money repositories, grain repositories, and carbon sinks, and put forward that afforestation is an important part of ecological civilization construction — this is a new judgment on the state of the role of forests as a “treasure house” and on how to play the role of the “four repositories” of forests. The theory of forests as “four repositories” provides new ideas for us to understand and ensure such national security as water security, food security, food safety, economic security, climate security, and the security of people’s life and health. Exploring the theory of forests as “four repositories” from the dimension of people’s life and health has important theoretical and practical significance for enriching and deepening research on Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, Xi Jinping’s discourse on a Healthy China, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as well as for playing the role of the “four repositories” of forests, promoting the linkage of the “four repositories” of forests, and advancing people’s life and health.

森林“四库”论，即森林是“水库、粮库、钱库与碳库”的简称，是习近平关于森林价值功能的重要论述，是习近平生态文明思想的有机构成。近年来，习近平先后提出了森林既是水库、钱库、粮库，也是碳库，森林是集水库、粮库、钱库、碳库于一身的大宝库，形象生动地概括了森林的多元价值与多重功能。2024年他在参加义务植树活动时进一步指出:我国森林“宝库”作用发挥还不够充分，推动森林“水库、钱库、粮库、碳库”更好联动。2025年参加义务植树活动时再次强调，推动森林水库、钱库、粮库、碳库“四库”联动，并提出植树造林是生态文明建设重要一环，这是对森林“宝库”作用发挥状况及如何发挥森林“四库”作用作出的新论断。森林“四库”论为我们认识与确保水安全、粮食安全、食品安全、经济安全、气候安全及人民生命健康安全等国家安全提供了新思路。从人民生命健康维度探讨森林“四库”论，对于丰富深化习近平生态文明思想、习近平关于健康中国论述、习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想等研究，以及发挥森林“四库”作用、推动森林“四库”联动、促进人民生命健康具有重要理论与实践意义。

I. The Great Significance of Upholding the Supremacy of People’s Life and Health

一、坚持人民生命健康至上的重大意义

Upholding the supremacy of the people and the supremacy of life, putting the people’s life safety and physical and mental health first, integrating health into all policies, and “implementing the strategy of prioritizing health development” are the value pursuit and fundamental requirements of the Communist Party of China in the New Era. Human health is closely related to forests; humans and nature are a community of life. Understanding and playing the value and role of the “four repositories” of forests must adhere to the concepts of the supremacy of people’s life and the priority of health. This is because “health is an inevitable requirement for promoting people’s all-round development, a basic condition for economic and social development, an important marker of national prosperity and strength, and also the common pursuit of the broad masses of the people.” [1]1 Source of the quotation: Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Health and Wellness Conference,” August 19, 2016.

坚持人民至上、生命至上，把人民生命安全和身心健康放在首位，将健康融入所有政策，“实施健康优先发展战略”，是新时代中国共产党的价值追求与根本要求。人类健康与森林息息相关，人与自然是生命共同体，认识发挥森林“四库”价值作用必须坚持人民生命至上、健康优先理念。这是因为，“健康是促进人的全面发展的必然要求，是经济社会发展的基础条件，是民族昌盛和国家富强的重要标志，也是广大人民群众的共同追求。”

(1) Health Is the Common Pursuit of the Broad Masses of the People

(一)健康是广大人民群众的共同追求

Life safety and health and longevity are the common pursuit of the masses of the people, both ancient and modern, both Chinese and foreign. For each person, life is only once; the most precious thing for a person is life. Sun Simiao [2]2 Sun Simiao (c. 581–682) was a renowned Tang-dynasty physician and writer, often called the “King of Medicine” in Chinese tradition. long ago put forward that “the weight of human life is more precious than a thousand pieces of gold.” Life and health are an organic component and an important foundation of the people’s happy and beautiful life. The people’s sense of gain, sense of happiness, and sense of security are all inseparable from health. “Health is 1, and everything else is the 0s after it. If 1 is gone, there is nothing left.” Although having health does not mean having everything, not having health means having nothing. Physical health is an important foundation for each person’s growth and for realizing a happy life. A United Nations survey shows that the wish for good health ranks first among the needs of all humanity worldwide. The China Economic Survey found that health status is the primary factor affecting the happiness of our country’s people. Since entering the New Era, “with the improvement of the level of economic and social development and the people’s living standards, the masses of the people have paid more attention to life quality and health security, and health needs have shown characteristics of diversification and differentiation.” [3]3 Source of the quotation: Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Symposium of Experts and Scholars on the Comprehensive Prevention and Control of the COVID-19 Epidemic,” June 2, 2020. Coupled with the test and baptism of the three-year epidemic, [4]4 The “three-year epidemic” refers to the COVID-19 pandemic, which China officially managed as a major public health emergency from early 2020 until early 2023. the security of life and health has increasingly become a major issue of concern to the masses of the people. The World Health Organization believes that health includes multiple aspects such as physical health, mental health, social health, and moral health. A person who is healthy in physiology, psychology, society, and morality should be a person with all-round development in morality, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor. This means that life and health are the main aspects and fundamental foundation of people’s all-round development. Upholding the supremacy of people’s life and health is an inevitable requirement for meeting the people’s health needs and promoting people’s all-round development.

生命安全、健康长寿是古今中外人民群众的共同追求。对于每个人来说，生命只有一次，人最宝贵的就是生命，孙思邈早就提出“人命之重，有贵千金”。生命健康是人民幸福美好生活的有机构成与重要基础，人民群众获得感、幸福感、安全感都离不开健康，“健康是1，其他都是后面的0。1没有了，什么都没有了”。虽然有了健康不等于拥有一切，但是没有健康就等于没有一切，身体健康是每个人成长和实现幸福生活的重要基础。联合国调查显示良好健康愿望排在全世界人类需求的首位，中国经济大调查发现健康状况是影响我国人民幸福的首要因素。进入新时代以来，“随着经济社会发展水平和人民生活水平不断提高，人民群众更加重视生命质量和健康安全，健康需要呈现多样化、差异化的特点。”加上历经三年疫情的考验与洗礼，生命健康安全越来越成为人民群众关心的重大问题。世界卫生组织认为健康包含身体健康、心理健康、社会健康与道德健康等多个方面，生理、心理、社会与道德都健康的人应该是德智体美劳全面发展的人，这意味着生命健康是人的全面发展的主要方面与根本基础。坚持人民生命健康至上是满足人民健康需要、促进人民全面发展的必然要求。

(2) Health Is the Fundamental Purpose of Advancing the Construction of a Healthy China

(二)健康是推进健康中国建设的根本目的

Comprehensively advancing the construction of a Healthy China is one of the four major tasks of social and people’s livelihood construction in the New Era. Ensuring the people’s life safety and physical and mental health is a major task of our Party’s governance. With the acceleration of industrialization, urbanization, and aging, as well as the continuous changes in the ecological environment, production methods, and lifestyles, our country faces a complex situation where multiple disease threats coexist and multiple health influencing factors are intertwined. This mainly includes the increasing burden of chronic diseases and infectious diseases, the non-negligible harm of emerging infectious diseases, and the unoptimistic situation of environmental health, food safety, occupational safety, and production safety. The issue of people’s life and health has gradually evolved into a major issue of people’s livelihood in our country. Safeguarding the security of people’s life and health has become a major project for winning people’s hearts in our country. “If the people’s health level is low, if the masses cannot receive timely medical treatment when they fall ill, if disease control is ineffective and infectious diseases spread, not only will the people’s living standards and quality be greatly affected, but society will also pay a heavy price.” [5]5 Source of the quotation: Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Health and Wellness Conference,” August 19, 2016. It is precisely because of this that the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee [6]6 The Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee was held in October 2015; it adopted the “13th Five-Year Plan” proposals and formally introduced the goal of building a “Healthy China.” clearly put forward the requirement for the construction of a Healthy China. Subsequently, our country issued policy documents such as the “Healthy China 2030” Planning Outline, the Opinions on Implementing the Healthy China Action, and the Healthy China Action (2019-2030). The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC [7]7 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022. again proposed “advancing the construction of a Healthy China,” and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee [8]8 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was held in July 2024. proposed “implementing the strategy of prioritizing health development.” Advancing the construction of a Healthy China and implementing the strategy of prioritizing health development are the fundamental ways to realize people’s health and ensure the health of the entire population, marking our country’s shift from a treatment-centered approach to a people’s health-centered approach.

全面推进健康中国建设是新时代社会民生建设的四大任务之一，确保人民群众生命安全与身心健康是我们党治国理政的一项重大任务。随着工业化、城镇化、老龄化进程加快，以及生态环境、生产方式、生活方式等不断变化，我国面临着多重疾病威胁并存、多种健康影响因素交织的复杂局面，主要包括慢性病、传染病负担日益加重，新发传染病及其危害不容忽视，环境健康、食品安全、职业安全、生产安全等问题不容乐观。人民生命健康问题逐渐演变成为我国重大民生问题，维护人民生命健康安全已经成为我国重大民心工程。“如果人民健康水平低下，如果群众患病得不到及时救助，如果疾病控制不力、传染病流行，不仅人民生活水平和质量会受到重大影响，而且社会会付出沉重代价。”正是因为如此，党的十八届五中全会明确提出健康中国建设要求，随后我国发布了《“健康中国2030”规划纲要》《关于实施健康中国行动的意见》与《健康中国行动(2019-2030年)》等政策文件，党的二十大报告再次提出“推进健康中国建设”，党的二十届三中全会提出“实施健康优先发展战略”。推进健康中国建设、实施健康优先发展战略，是实现人民健康、确保全民健康的根本途径，标志着我国从以治病为中心转向以人民健康为中心。

(3) Health Is the Basic Condition for Economic and Social Development

(三)健康是经济社会发展的基础条件

Classical Marxism holds that productive forces are the fundamental driving force of economic and social development, and that laborers are the core and key element of productive forces. Health is an important component of today’s human capital, and healthy laborers are the decisive factor in the development of productive forces. World Bank research has found that over the past 40 years, approximately 8% to 10% of global economic growth is attributable to improvements in human health, and the “health dividend” is increasingly prominent in promoting economic and social development. As an important carrier for safeguarding people’s health and improving human capital, the health industry belongs to sunrise industries, green industries, and strategic emerging industries. It is a representative of advanced productive forces, new quality productive forces, and green productive forces. Developing the health industry can stimulate new investment, absorb more employment, drive industrial upgrading, and thereby promote green, healthy, and sustainable economic development. Conversely, if the issues of the people’s life and health cannot be effectively resolved, it will inevitably constrain economic development and affect social harmony and stability. In particular, “major acute infectious diseases spread rapidly and cause great harm. If handled improperly or responded to mistakenly, they not only seriously affect the daily lives of the masses of the people, but also cause panic and social instability, eroding the achievements of many years of economic and social construction.” [9]9 Source of the quotation: Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Symposium of Experts and Scholars on the Comprehensive Prevention and Control of the COVID-19 Epidemic,” June 2, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious infectious disease globally in the past century and the most major sudden public health event our country has encountered since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Its adverse effects on global and our country’s economic and social development have not yet been eliminated. Positive and negative facts tell us that people’s health is the basic condition for sustainable economic and social development. We should always adhere to a people’s health-centered approach and the supremacy of people’s life and health.

经典马克思主义认为，生产力是经济社会发展的根本动力，劳动者是生产力的核心与关键要素。健康是当今人力资本的重要组成部分，健康劳动者是生产力发展的决定性因素。世界银行研究发现，过去40年来，全球大约8%-10%的经济增长归因于人类健康的改善，“健康红利”对经济社会发展的促进作用日益突显。作为维护人民健康、提高人力资本的重要载体，健康产业属于朝阳产业、绿色产业、战略性新兴产业，是先进生产力、新质生产力、绿色生产力的代表，发展健康产业可以拉动新的投资、吸纳更多就业、带动产业升级，进而促进经济绿色健康可持续发展。相反，如果人民群众生命健康问题得不能有效解决，必然会制约经济发展、影响社会和谐稳定，特别是“重大急性传染病传播迅速、危害巨大，如果处置失当、应对失误，不仅严重影响人民群众日常生活，还会造成人心恐慌、社会不稳，消解经济社会多年建设成果”。新冠疫情是百年来全球发生的最严重的传染性疾病，是中华人民共和国成立以来我国遭遇的最重大突发公共卫生事件，对全球和我国经济社会发展的不利影响至今尚未消除。正反面事实告诫我们，人民健康是经济社会可持续发展的基础条件，我们应始终坚持以人民健康为中心、人民生命健康至上。

(4) Health Is an Important Marker of Building a Strong Country and National Rejuvenation

(四)健康是强国建设与民族复兴的重要标志

On the new journey of the New Era, the central task of the Communist Party of China is to comprehensively build a great modern socialist country, and to comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. That is, to comprehensively advance the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization. “People’s health is an important indicator of socialist modernization.” People’s health is a key indicator of a strong and prosperous nation; only with people’s health can there be strong comprehensive national power and sustainable development capacity. If the economy develops, but the ecology is destroyed and the environment deteriorates, so that people cannot eat safe food, drink clean water, breathe fresh air, or live in a livable environment, then such modernization is not what the people hope for. Therefore, Chinese-path modernization must be healthy modernization, and the dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation must be the people’s health dream. As Professor He Chuanqi, director of the China Modernization Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: “Without health modernization, there is no human modernization, and thus no national modernization. Health modernization is an important connotation of national modernization; without health modernization, there is no national modernization.” If people’s health is the foundation of individual existence, then universal health is the foundation of the nation. This requires us to place the safety of people’s life and health in a strategic position of priority development, accelerate the construction of a Healthy China, and deeply implement the Healthy China strategy. Only in this way can we lay a solid health foundation for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. This is also the inevitable choice for building a Healthy China by 2035 to basically meet the people’s needs for life and health safety, and for ensuring that our people enjoy a happier and healthier life by the middle of the 21st century.

新时代新征程，中国共产党的中心任务是全面建成社会主义现代化强国，以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴，也就是要以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设与民族复兴伟业。“人民健康是社会主义现代化的重要标志”，人民健康是国家强盛与民族昌盛的重要标志，人民健康才有强大综合国力和可持续发展能力。如果经济发展了，但生态破坏了、环境恶化了，大家吃不到安全食品，喝不到洁净的水，呼吸不到新鲜空气，居住不到宜居环境，那样的现代化不是人民希望的。因此，中国式现代化一定是健康现代化，中华民族复兴梦必定是人民健康梦。正如中国科学院中国现代化研究中心主任何传启教授所说的:没有健康现代化，就没有人的现代化，也就没有国家现代化，健康现代化是国家现代化的重要内涵，没有健康现代化就没有国家现代化。如果说人民健康是立身之本，那么全民健康就是立国之基。这就要求我们将人民生命健康安全放在优先发展的战略地位，加快推进健康中国建设、深入实施健康中国战略，这样才能为强国建设与民族复兴打下坚实的健康基础。这也是到2035年建成健康中国基本满足人民生命健康安全需要、到21世纪中叶确保我国人民享有更加幸福安康生活的必然选择。

II. The “Four Repositories” of Forests Have Important Life and Health Value

二、森林“四库”具有重要的生命健康价值

Nature is the mother of human life; humanity depends on the natural world for survival. Forests have important value for people’s life and health safety. They not only have direct life and health value in healing wounds, treating diseases, relieving anxiety, and reducing worry, but also provide clean air, clean water sources, abundant food materials, and medicinal remedies—essential resources for human survival. Therefore, from the dimension of people’s life and health, forests are not only “water reservoirs, grain repositories, money repositories, and carbon sinks,” but also life repositories and health repositories concerning the safety of people’s life and health.

大自然是人类生命之母，人类依靠自然界才能生存。森林对于人民生命健康安全具有重要价值，不仅对伤口治愈、疾病治疗、缓解焦虑、减轻烦恼等具有直接生命健康价值，而且还能提供清洁空气、洁净水源、丰富食材、治病良药等人类赖以生存的重要资源。因此，站在人民生命健康维度看，森林不仅仅是“水库、粮库、钱库与碳库”，更是关乎人民生命健康安全的生命库与健康库。

(A) The Forest “Water Reservoir” Is the Source of People’s Life and Health

(一)森林“水库”是人民生命健康之源

“Water is the foundation of survival and the source of civilization.” It is the fundamental guarantee for human life and health. Water security is a basic issue for human survival. Ensuring that the masses have water to drink and drink clean, safe water requires making water volumes abundant, water quality good, and the landscape beautiful. The forest “water reservoir” has value and functions such as conserving water sources, purifying water quality, and preserving soil and water. It plays an irreplaceable role in alleviating problems of water resource constraints, water environmental pollution, and water ecological damage, thereby safeguarding the life safety and physical and mental health of the masses.

“水是生存之本、文明之源”，是人类生命与健康的根本保障，水安全是人类生存的基础性问题。确保人民群众有水喝、喝上干净安全的水，就要让水量丰起来、水质好起来、风光美起来。森林“水库”具有涵养水源、净化水质、保持水土等价值功能，在缓解水资源约束、水环境污染与水生态破坏问题等，进而维护人民群众生命安全与身心健康方面具有不可替代的作用。

Forests are natural reservoirs. Water is the source of human life and health; having water to drink is the most basic human need. Water conservation is a main function of forests: forests are the best water-retaining tools, the “finance ministry” of water, and also the cheapest reservoirs. The total annual water conservation capacity of the country’s forests reaches 628.958 billion cubic meters, equivalent to 16 Three Gorges Reservoirs. [10]10 The Three Gorges Reservoir is the reservoir formed by the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, the world’s largest hydropower project by installed capacity. Water scarcity is a huge threat facing the world today. China is a country extremely lacking in water resources, with two-thirds of its cities experiencing water shortages or severe water shortages. Fully recognizing the value of forests in conserving water is an inevitable requirement for alleviating China’s insufficient water supply and meeting the masses’ need for water to drink.

森林是天然蓄水池。水是人类生命与健康之源，有水可喝是人类最基本需求。涵养水源是森林的主要功能:森林是最好的保水工具，是水的“财政部”，也是造价最低廉的水库。全国森林年涵养水源量达6289.58亿立方米，相当于16个三峡水库。缺水是当今全球面临的巨大威胁，中国是水资源极度缺乏的国家，三分之二城市缺水或严重缺水。充分认识森林涵养水源价值是缓解我国水资源供应不足、满足人民群众有水喝的必然要求。

Forests are natural water purifiers. “How can one have a healthy body if they drink unclean water?” The safety of people’s life and health requires clean and safe drinking water. High-quality water endows people with health and longevity; poor-quality water brings people disease and death. Purifying water quality is a main function of forests. With complex species and loose forest soil, forests form a multi-layered structure and have strong functions of interception, filtration, adsorption, and degradation, often called “invisible green reservoirs of water.” Water pollution is the number one killer facing the world today and also a prominent environmental problem that has plagued our country for many years. Continuously fighting the battle to protect clear waters and letting people drink clean water requires us to fully recognize the important value of forests in purifying water quality.

森林是天然净水器。“喝不干净的水，怎么会有健康的体魄?”人民生命健康安全需要饮水干净安全。优质水赋予人民健康长寿，劣质水带给人民疾病死亡。净化水质是森林的主要功能，森林物种复杂、林地疏松，形成多层结构，具有较强的截留、过滤、吸附和降解等作用，素有“看不见水的绿色水库”之称。水污染是当今世界面临的头号杀手，也是困扰我国多年的突出环境问题。持续打好碧水保卫战、让人民喝上干净水，需要我们充分认识森林净化水质的重要价值。

Forests are soil and water protectors. Soil erosion is a prominent ecological and environmental problem threatening human life and health; destroying forests is the root cause of ecological and environmental problems such as soil erosion. “The vast majority of the country’s water resources are conserved in mountainous, hilly, and plateau areas. If the mountains are destroyed and the forests are cut down, the water is also destroyed. The mountains become barren, the water becomes floods, mud and sand flow together, and the land becomes nutrient-depleted wasteland, with soil erosion and ravines everywhere.” This means that forests are important ecological carriers for preventing and controlling soil erosion. To solve the problem of soil erosion and safeguard people’s life and health, we need to recognize and leverage the value and function of forests in preserving soil and water.

森林是水土保护器。水土流失是威胁人类生命健康的突出生态环境问题，毁坏森林是造成水土流失等生态环境问题的根源。“全国绝大部分水资源涵养在山区丘陵和高原，如果破坏了山、砍光了林，也就破坏了水，山就变成了秃山，水就变成了洪水，泥沙俱下，地就变成了没有养分的不毛之地，水土流失、沟壑纵横。”这就是说，森林是防治水土流失的重要生态载体，解决水土流失问题、维护人民生命健康，需要我们认识发挥森林保持水土的价值功能。

(B) The Forest “Grain Repository” Is the Key to People’s Life and Health

(二)森林“粮库”是人民生命健康之要

The state takes the people as its foundation; the people take food as their heaven; food takes safety as its priority. [11]11 “The people take food as their heaven” (民以食为天) is a classical Chinese idiom emphasizing the fundamental importance of food for the people. The need for food and drink is the most basic life need of humanity; food is a key factor affecting people’s life and health. Since the New Era, the people’s food needs have undergone great changes. They need to eat enough, eat well, and also eat with confidence. Forests are natural large grain repositories, natural nutrition repositories, and also green large grain repositories. The forest “grain repository” is of great significance for ensuring our country’s food security, food safety, people’s life and health safety, and the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.

国以民为本，民以食为天，食以安为先。饮食需要是人类最基本的生命需要，食物是影响人民生命健康的关键因素。新时代以来，人民群众食物需要发生很大变化，既要吃得饱，也要吃得好，还要吃得放心。森林是天然大粮库，也是天然营养库，还是绿色大粮库。森林“粮库”对确保我国粮食安全、食品安全、人民生命健康安全，以及实现中华民族永续发展都具有重要意义。

Forests are natural large grain repositories. Food security is a fundamental issue concerning human survival. Forests provide humanity with a variety of delicious foods for free, such as chestnuts, known as “iron-clad crops,” and walnuts, known as the “king of world oils.” We must “seek food from forests and develop woody grain and oil, and forest food products.” Currently, forests have become an important part of our country’s grain repository. “The annual output of forest food nationwide exceeds 200 million tons, making it the third most important agricultural product after grain and vegetables. The per capita output of forest food is about 130 kilograms, ranking among the top in the world,” making a positive contribution to safeguarding the life and health safety of our people.

森林是天然大粮库。粮食安全是事关人类生存的根本性问题，森林为人类免费提供各种各样的美味，如被人们称为“铁杆庄稼”的板栗、“世界油王”的核桃等。我们“要向森林要食物，发展木本粮油、森林食品”。目前，森林已成为我国粮库的重要组成部分，“全国森林食物年产量超过2亿吨，已经成为我国继粮食、蔬菜之后的第三大重要农产品，人均森林食物产量130公斤左右，居世界前列”，为维护我国人民生命健康安全作出了积极贡献。

Forests are natural nutrition repositories. Ensuring the life safety and physical health of the masses requires not only adequate nutrition but also balanced nutrition. Forests are often called the “rice bag,” “vegetable basket,” “oil bottle,” “meat plate,” and “fruit box.” The plants, animals, and microorganisms in forests contain a variety of nutrients needed by the human body. For example, hazelnuts are rich in protein, fat, starch, and vitamins, and are an important nut recommended in our country’s dietary guidelines; kiwifruit is rich in vitamins and protein, which can effectively enhance human immunity. It can be seen that forest foods can play an important role in enriching the national diet, optimizing dietary structure, and promoting nutritional balance.

森林是天然营养库。确保人民群众生命安全与身体健康，不仅需要营养充分，而且要求营养均衡。森林被人们称为“米袋子”“菜篮子”“油瓶子”“肉盘子”与“果盒子”。森林中的植物、动物与微生物含有人体所需的多种营养成分，如榛子富含蛋白质、脂肪、淀粉和维生素，是我国营养膳食指南推荐的重要坚果;猕猴桃含有丰富维生素和蛋白质，可以有效提升人体免疫力等。可见，森林食物在丰富国民食谱、优化膳食结构、促进营养均衡等方面可以发挥重要作用。

Forests are green large grain repositories. Food safety concerns the “safety on the tip of the tongue” of more than 1.4 billion people in our country, and is related to the health and life safety of the broad masses. Forest foods come from the forest ecological environment, follow the natural growth laws of plants and animals, have no artificially synthesized chemical additives, and possess characteristics such as being original ecology, pollution-free, and green and safe. They are renowned for being green and organic, diverse in variety, and beneficial for health and wellness. Forests provide green, healthy, nutritious, and safe food for the Chinese people’s rice bowls. This not only meets the masses’ needs for eating enough and eating well but also satisfies people’s growing needs for food safety, life safety, and physical and mental health.

森林是绿色大粮库。食品安全关乎我国14亿多人的“舌尖上的安全”，关系广大人民群众身体健康和生命安全。森林食物来自森林生态环境，遵循着动植物自然生长规律，没有人工合成的化学添加物，具有原生态、无污染、绿色安全等特性，以绿色有机、品种多样、养生保健而著称。森林为中国人饭碗提供绿色健康、营养安全的食物，不仅能满足广大人民群众吃饱饭、吃好饭需要，还能满足人们日益增长的食品安全、生命安全与身心健康需要。

(C) The Forest “Money Repository” Is the Foundation of People’s Life and Health

(三)森林“钱库”是人民生命健康之基

People’s health is closely related to material wealth. The masses are the creators of material wealth, and material wealth is an important condition for people’s health. “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” “Lucid waters and lush mountains are not only invaluable assets but also an important guarantee for the health of the masses.” As the people’s awareness of life and health safety continues to strengthen, the demand for life and health services such as medicinal materials, health and wellness, and fitness is growing rapidly. Industries such as forest medicinal materials, forest health and wellness, and forest sports are gradually becoming important ways and means for our country to explore the forest “money repository.”

人民健康与物质财富紧密相关，人民群众是物质财富的创造者，物质财富是人民健康的重要条件。“绿水青山就是金山银山”“绿水青山不仅是金山银山，也是人民群众健康的重要保障”。随着人民群众生命健康安全意识不断增强，药材、康养、健身等生命健康需求快速增长，森林药材、森林康养、森林运动等产业逐渐成为我国探索森林“钱库”的重要方式与途径。

Forests are natural medicinal repositories. China’s forest medicinal resources are abundant, earning the reputation of a “treasure house of medicine.” Forest medicinal materials are an important source of traditional Chinese medicine, mainly including various plant-based and animal-based medicines, such as the well-known ginseng, lingzhi, and deer antler. Because forest medicinal materials grow in natural environments, far from the influence of industrial pollution and chemical pesticides, they possess characteristics such as being natural, green, and pollution-free, thus being safer and more reliable with fewer side effects on the human body. In recent years, the forest medicinal materials industry has become increasingly prominent in the development of the health industry and local economic growth, and developing the forest medicinal materials industry is becoming a way to realize the forest “money repository” in many regions.

森林是天然药材库。我国森林药物资源丰富，素有“药用宝库”的美称。森林药材是中医药的重要来源，主要包括各种植物药与动物药，如众所周知的人参、灵芝、鹿茸等。由于森林药材生长在自然环境中，远离工业污染和化学农药的影响，具有天然、绿色、无污染等特点，因而更加安全可靠、对人体副作用更小。近年来，森林药材产业在健康产业发展、地方经济增长中地位越来越突出，发展森林药材产业正在成为不少地区森林“钱库”的实现方式。

Forests are natural health and wellness repositories. Forest health and wellness is a new form of the health industry and a new form of the forest “money repository.” Forests are sources of high-quality water, repositories of green food, and natural medicinal repositories, possessing negative oxygen ions, plant bactericides, suitable temperatures, and natural sounds such as bird calls, insect chirps, and flowing water—all precious gifts forests bestow upon humanity. Lin Yutang once said that nature itself is always a sanatorium, and trees have a spiritual therapeutic effect, serving as a place to cure all worldly thoughts and soul ailments. Forests provide humans with an excellent place to return to nature and cultivate both body and mind. Forest health and wellness is a treasure of wealth and health that nature bestows upon humanity.

森林是天然康养库。森林康养是健康产业的新业态，是森林“钱库”的新形式。森林是优质水源地、绿色食品库、天然药材库，拥有负氧离子、植物杀菌素、适宜的温度，还有鸟鸣、虫吟、流水声等自然之声，这些都是森林赋予人类的珍贵礼物。林语堂曾说，大自然本身永远是一个疗养院，树木具有精神上的治疗功效，是治疗一切俗念和灵魂病患的场所。森林为人类提供了回归自然、修养身心的绝佳去处，森林康养是大自然赋予人类的财富与健康宝藏。

Forests are outdoor sports repositories. Exercise and fitness are one of the four cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle. Engaging in outdoor sports in nature makes us happier, less prone to fatigue, and gives us more lasting vitality than indoor exercise. Engaging in outdoor sports in forests can increase the depth and frequency of breathing, inhaling fresh air and negative oxygen ions, thereby enhancing the cardiopulmonary function of exercisers; natural beauty allows the body and mind to relax, and the forest environment keeps people away from noise, thereby alleviating negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. Forest outdoor sports have multiple values for people’s life and health and have already become a new way for many localities to develop the forest “money repository” and create material wealth.

森林是户外运动库。运动健身是健康生活方式的四大基石之一。在大自然中进行户外运动让我们更快乐、更不易疲劳，给我们带来比室内运动更持久的活力。在森林中从事户外运动，可以增加呼吸深度与频率，吸入清新空气与负氧离子，从而增强运动者心肺功能;自然美景让人放松身心，森林环境让人远离喧嚣，从而减轻焦虑、抑郁等负面情绪。森林户外运动对人民生命健康具有多方面价值，已经成为不少地方开发森林“钱库”、创造物质财富的新型方式。

(4) The forest “carbon repository” is the foundation of people’s life and health

(四)森林“碳库”是人民生命健康之本

Air is the fundamental element for maintaining human life and health, and high-quality air is crucial to people’s life and health. Inhaling sufficient oxygen and fresh air and living in suitable temperatures and climates are essential conditions for human survival. Through photosynthesis, forests absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They are both important “carbon repositories” and natural oxygen bars, as well as air purifiers and temperature regulators. They can provide sufficient oxygen, purify polluted air, and regulate climate and temperature, holding significant value for safeguarding people’s life safety and promoting their physical and mental health.

空气是维持人类生命健康的根本要素，优质空气对人的生命健康至关重要。吸入足量氧气与清新空气、在适宜气温气候中生活是人类生存的必备条件。森林通过光合作用吸收二氧化碳、释放氧气，既是重要的“碳库”也是天然大氧吧，还是空气净化器与气温调节器，可以提供充足氧气、净化污浊空气、调节气候气温，对保障人民生命安全、促进人民身心健康具有重要价值。

Forests are natural oxygen bars. Oxygen affects every part of our bodies and is fundamental to sustaining human life and health. Forests are both consumers of carbon dioxide and factories for oxygen production; the carbon repository and the oxygen repository together constitute two sides of the same coin for forests. The carbon sequestration and oxygen release function of forests maintains the Earth’s carbon-oxygen balance: “For every 1 cubic meter increase in forest stock volume, 1.83 tons of carbon dioxide can be absorbed and 1.62 tons of oxygen released.” Forests are also rich in substances beneficial to health, such as negative oxygen ions and phytoncides. Bathing in a forest oxygen bar has obvious health-preserving effects, and “forest breathing” has become a new fashion for the Chinese people in their pursuit of a high-quality life.

森林是天然大氧吧。氧气影响着我们身体的每个部分，是维系人类生命与健康之根本。森林是二氧化碳消耗者也是氧气制造厂，碳库与氧库共同构成了森林的一体两面。森林的固碳释氧作用维持着地球碳氧平衡，“林木每增加1立方米蓄积量，可吸收1.83吨二氧化碳、释放出1.62吨氧气”。森林还富含负氧离子、芬多精等有利健康的物质，沐浴在森林氧吧中具有明显的养生保健作用，“森呼吸”已成为当前我国人民追求高品质生活的新时尚。

Forests are air purifiers. Human life, health, and safety are closely related to air quality, and breathing fresh air is related to people’s sense of happiness and a better life. Forests have the important function of purifying air, expelling waste and taking in the new. They are the largest “carbon storage repository” on land, the most economical “carbon absorber,” and the best filter for pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides. Therefore, forests are called the “lungs of the Earth,” “having not only the value of the trees themselves but also the effect of green lungs.” To continue to fight the battle to protect blue skies, basically eliminate heavily polluted weather, and ensure that people breathe fresh air, it is necessary to fully recognize the important value of forests in purifying air and promoting health.

森林是空气净化器。人类生命健康安全与空气质量息息相关，呼吸清新空气关乎人民幸福美好生活感受。森林具有净化空气、吐污纳新的重要功能，是陆地上最大的“储碳库”、最经济的“吸碳器”，也是臭氧、氮氧化物及硫氧化物等污染物的最佳过滤器。因此，森林被人们称为“地球之肺”“不仅有林木本身的价值，还有绿肺效应”。持续打好蓝天保卫战、基本消除重污染天气、确保人民呼吸清新空气，需充分认识森林净化空气、促进健康的重要价值。

Forests are natural air conditioners. Climate change is one of the major challenges facing humanity today, posing multiple threats to human survival, health, and well-being. The health threats of global warming are underestimated; the number of deaths caused by climate change may far exceed the number of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 5 million deaths per year attributed to abnormal high and low temperatures. Forests can absorb carbon dioxide and reduce greenhouse gases, and trees can reduce the urban “heat island effect.” Precisely because forests have the effect of natural air conditioning, as global warming continues and temperatures rise, more and more people choose to spend summer in forests to escape the heat.

森林是天然空调器。气候变化是当今人类共同面临的重大挑战之一，对人类生存、健康与福祉等方面构成多重威胁。全球变暖的健康威胁被低估，气候变化造成的死亡人数可能远超新冠肺炎疫情死亡人数，每年超过500万人的死亡归因于异常高温和低温。森林可以吸收二氧化碳、减少温室气体，林木可以降低城市“热岛效应”。正是由于森林具有天然空调的功效，伴随全球气候变暖、气温持续升高，越来越多的人选择夏季到森林中避暑。

III. Fully Leveraging the Life and Health Functions of the “Four Repositories” of Forests

三、充分发挥森林“四库”的生命健康作用

Our understanding of the value and functions of forests is becoming increasingly comprehensive. “Forests are a great treasure house integrating water repositories, grain repositories, money repositories, and carbon repositories,” yet the role of forests as a “treasure house” has not been fully utilized. The reasons may be numerous, and this is not unrelated to our insufficient understanding and utilization of the life and health value of the “four repositories” of forests. In the relationship between humans and nature, people first care about, and care more about, their own life and health safety. Therefore, the key to fully leveraging the role of forests as a “treasure house” is to fully leverage the life and health functions of the “four repositories” of forests.

我们对森林价值与功能的认识越来越全面，“森林是集水库、粮库、钱库、碳库于一身的大宝库”，森林“宝库”作用的发挥还不是很充分。原因可能众多，与我们对森林“四库”生命健康价值认识与作用发挥不足不无关系。在人与自然的关系上，人们首先关心也更关心的是自身生命健康安全。因此，充分发挥森林“宝库”作用的关键是充分发挥森林“四库”生命健康作用。

(1) Leveraging the Life and Health Functions of the Forest “Water Repository”

(一)发挥森林“水库”的生命健康作用

For human life and health, water is the second most important substance after air. To address China’s increasingly severe water security issues, such as water resources, water environment, and water ecology, we must highly value the functions of the forest “water repository” in conserving water sources, purifying water quality, and retaining soil and water. On the basis of fully recognizing the life and health value of the forest “water repository,” we must fully leverage its life and health functions to better meet the people’s growing basic life and health needs, such as having water to drink, drinking clean water, and ensuring water and soil safety.

对于人的生命与健康来说，水是仅次于空气的重要物质。应对我国日益严峻的水资源、水环境与水生态等水安全问题，需要我们高度重视森林“水库”涵养水源、净化水质、保持水土等功能作用。在充分认识森林“水库”生命健康价值基础上，我们必须充分发挥森林“水库”的生命健康作用，更好满足人民不断增长的有水可喝、喝干净水及水土安全等基本生命健康需要。

Leveraging the water conservation function of forests. Water is the source of human civilization. “The four great ancient civilizations—ancient Egypt, ancient Babylon, ancient India, and ancient China—all originated in areas with dense forests, abundant water, and fertile fields.” [12]12 This is a classical allusion to the geographical origins of the four major ancient civilizations, a common reference in Chinese discourse to highlight the foundational role of natural resources in human development. The Saihanba Forest Farm is the world’s largest area of man-made forest, built through the efforts of three generations, conserving water sources and purifying 284 million cubic meters of fresh water annually for the Luanhe and Liaohe river regions. History and reality tell us that to address water resource shortages, we must leverage the water conservation function of forests. To solve the severe water shortage problem in North China, in addition to measures such as the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and water conservation, protecting forests and other ecological spaces is a key measure.

发挥森林涵养水源作用。水是人类文明之源，“古代埃及、古代巴比伦、古代印度、古代中国四大文明古国均发源于森林茂密、水量丰沛、田野肥沃的地区。”塞罕坝林场是经过三代人奋斗建成的世界面积最大的人工林海，每年为滦河和辽河地区涵养水源、净化淡水2.84亿立方米。历史与现实告知我们，应对水资源短缺必须发挥森林涵养水源作用。解决华北地区的严重缺水问题，除了南水北调、节约用水等措施外，保护好森林等生态空间是关键举措。

Leveraging the water purification function of forests. Purifying water quality is a main function of the forest “water repository,” and protecting forests is the best way to obtain cheap, clean water. David Cassells, a senior environment specialist for forest resources at the World Bank, believes: “For many cities, protecting forests around water catchment areas is not a luxury but a necessity; it is better to protect forests over a long period and in multiple ways than to expend great effort and spend large sums on treating sewage.” To ensure “a reservoir of clear water flows northward,” the Danjiangkou Reservoir has in recent years actively carried out tree planting, greening, and restoration actions, controlling axes, protecting hillsides, and guarding water sources, making an important contribution to the drinking water safety of people in northern regions.

发挥森林净化水质作用。净化水质是森林“水库”的主要功能，保护森林是获取廉价洁净水的最好方式。世界银行负责森林资源的高级环境专家大卫·卡斯尔斯认为:对许多城市而言，保护蓄水地区四周森林不是奢侈而是必需，与其费大力、花大钱治理污水不如长时间、多方面保护森林。丹江口水库为保“一库清水向北流”，近年来积极开展植树增绿、治理修复行动，管住了斧头、护住了山头、守好了源头，为北方地区人民群众饮水安全作出了重要贡献。

Leveraging the soil and water conservation function of forests. Mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts form a community of life. “The lifeline of people lies in farmlands, the lifeline of farmlands lies in water, the lifeline of water lies in mountains, the lifeline of mountains lies in soil, and the lifeline of soil lies in trees.” [13]13 This is a metaphorical statement by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, emphasizing the interconnectedness of ecological elements and the centrality of forests in the life-support system, often cited in environmental policy discussions. In short, people’s lives depend on water, and water’s life depends on trees; to manage water, one must first manage mountains, and to manage mountains, one must first manage forests. Afforestation is the fundamental policy for conserving soil and water and protecting life. Changting in Fujian Province was once one of the four most severely eroded areas in China. After years of afforestation and comprehensive soil erosion control, it has transformed from a former “Flame Mountain” into today’s “Flower and Fruit Mountain.” The “Changting experience” has become a national model and has gone global.

发挥森林保持水土作用。山水林田湖草沙是一个生命共同体，“人的命脉在田，田的命脉在水，水的命脉在山，山的命脉在土，土的命脉在树。”简言之，人的生命在水、水的生命在树，治水必先治山、治山必先治林，植树造林是保持水土、护佑生命的根本之策。福建长汀曾是中国四大水土流失最严重的地区之一，经过多年植树造林、水土流失综合治理，从原来的“火焰山”变成如今的“花果山”“长汀经验”已经成为全国典型并走向了世界。

(2) Leveraging the Life and Health Functions of the Forest “Grain Repository”

(二)发挥森林“粮库”的生命健康作用

China is a large country with a population of over 1.4 billion. Solving the problem of feeding the people is the top priority in governance. “Feeding” does not merely mean consuming grain; meat, eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables, fish, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and the like are all fine foods. Apart from arable land, China also has over 4 billion mu of forestland and nearly 4 billion mu of grassland and other resources. We should establish a “big food perspective,” accelerate the construction of a diversified food supply system, and seek food from a broader range of territorial resources, including forests, beyond limited arable land. This is the necessary path to meeting the people’s needs for having enough to eat, eating well, and eating with confidence.

我国是一个拥有14亿多人口的大国，解决吃饭问题是治国理政的头等大事。“吃饭”不仅仅是消费粮食，肉蛋奶、果菜鱼、菌菇笋等都是美食，我国除耕地以外，还有40多亿亩林地、近40亿亩草地等资源。我们应树立“大食物观”，加快构建多元化食物供给体系，从有限的耕地资源向更广的森林等国土空间要食物，这是满足我国人民吃饱饭、吃好饭、吃得放心的必由之路。

Give play to the role of forests as a natural grain repository. To meet the people’s basic life needs of having enough to eat, we should protect and build up the great forest grain repository. At the national level: carry out forest survey and baseline work, introduce preferential policies for forest-sourced food, increase investment in human, material, and financial resources, and establish major special scientific research projects. At the local level: all regions should formulate plans for developing the forest “grain repository.” For example, Sichuan Province, a major province in terms of forest resources, has issued the “Implementation Plan for Building a ‘Tianfu Forest Grain Repository’,” [14]14 “Tianfu” is a historical name for the Sichuan region, often used to refer to the fertile Chengdu Plain. planning to become a high-level national demonstration province for forest grain repositories by 2030. At the enterprise level: vigorously tap into distinctive forest resources, select and cultivate superior forest food varieties, and actively create well-known brands for forest food.

发挥森林天然粮仓作用。满足人民吃饱饭的基本生命需要，应保护好建设好森林大粮库。国家层面:开展森林调查摸底工作，出台森林粮食优惠政策，加大人财物等投入力度，设立相关重大专项科研项目。地方层面:各地做好森林“粮库”开发规划。例如，四川省是我国森林资源大省，已出台《建设“天府森林粮库”实施方案》，计划到2030年建成高水平全国森林粮库示范省。企业层面:大力挖掘森林特色资源，优选优育森林食物品种，积极创建森林食物著名品牌。

Give play to the role of forests as a nutrition warehouse. To meet the people’s life and health needs of eating well, we should fully leverage the diversity of forest food varieties, “seek food from forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, and seas, and seek calories and protein from plants, animals, and microorganisms,” accelerate the development and utilization of various new types of forest food ingredients such as insects, and develop forest food sources comprehensively and through multiple channels, providing the people with a diverse and nutritious range of foods. In recent years, Sanming City in Fujian Province has made every effort to build a southern forest food base, developing five major categories of forest ecological products—forest grain and oil, medicinal materials, vegetables, beverages, and fungi—which has relatively well met the people’s life and health needs for food diversification and nutrition.

发挥森林营养仓库作用。满足人民吃好饭的生命健康需要，应充分发挥森林食物品种多样的作用，“向森林、草原、江河湖海要食物，向植物动物微生物要热量、要蛋白”，加快开发利用昆虫等各种新型森林食材，全方位、多途径开发森林食物来源，为人民提供品种多样、营养丰富的食物。近年来，福建三明市全力建设南方森林食品基地，开发出森林粮油、药材、蔬菜、饮料、菌类等五大森林生态产品，较好满足了人们食物多样化、营养化等生命健康需求。

Give play to the role of forests as a green grain repository. To meet the people’s needs for a better life, such as eating with confidence and pursuing food safety, we should respect the characteristics of the forest ecological environment and the laws of natural ecology, use improved seeds, improved methods, and improved technology to create more “green grain repositories,” and provide the people with green, safe, and healthy forest food. Camellia oleifera seed oil is a unique organic edible oil in China, playing a distinctive role in preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and improving the people’s health level. To give full play to the unique life and health role of camellia oleifera, we must first protect the camellia oleifera woody plants, and on this basis, “adhere to the path of green development, promote new technologies, develop deep processing, and make the camellia oleifera industry better and bigger.”

发挥森林绿色粮库作用。满足人民吃得放心、追求食品安全等美好生活需要，我们应尊重森林生态环境特点与自然生态规律，用良种、良法和良技营造更多“绿色粮仓”，为人民群众提供绿色、安全、健康的森林食物。油茶是我国特有的一种有机食用油，在预防心脑血管病、提高人民健康水平方面具有独特作用。发挥油茶独有的生命健康作用首先要保护好油茶木本植物，在此基础上“坚持走绿色发展的路子，推广新技术，发展深加工，把油茶业做优做大”。

(III) Give play to the life and health role of forests as a “money repository”

(三)发挥森林“钱库”的生命健康作用

The health industry is a key industry type that China has focused on developing in recent years, and it is also an important aspect of accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of industries. To fully leverage the life and health role of forests as a “money repository,” we must not only actively explore ways and means to transform forests as “water repositories,” “grain repositories,” and “carbon repositories” into “money repositories,” but also, more importantly, vigorously develop forest health industries such as forest medicinal materials, forest-based health and wellness (forest convalescence), and forest sports, and accelerate the organic integration of forest ecological value, economic value, and health value.

健康产业是近年来我国重点发展的产业类型，也是加快推动产业绿色低碳转型的重要方面。充分发挥森林“钱库”的生命健康作用，不仅要求我们积极探索森林“水库”“粮库”与“碳库”转化为“钱库”的方式与途径，而且更需要我们大力发展森林药材、森林康养、森林运动等森林健康产业，加快推进森林生态价值、经济价值与健康价值的有机融合。

Give play to the role of forests as a natural medicinal materials source. To meet the people’s ever-growing needs for drug safety and high-quality medicinal materials, it is necessary to strengthen the protection of forest traditional Chinese medicine resources, rationally utilize forest medicinal material resources, protect wild medicinal biological resources, maintain the ecological environment of forest medicinal materials, explore new models of ecological planting and green planting, select green, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly organic fertilizers, and promote the green and low-carbon development of the forest traditional Chinese medicine industry. In recent years, regions such as Northeast China, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guizhou have actively developed forest medicinal material industries with local advantages. These have become important “money repositories” for these forest-rich areas and have also provided high-quality medicinal material guarantees for the life and health safety of the Chinese people.

发挥森林天然药材作用。满足人民不断高涨的药品安全、高品质药材需要，必须加强森林中药资源保护，合理利用森林药材资源，保护好野生药用生物资源，养护好森林药材生态环境，探索生态种植、绿色种植新模式，选用绿色、低碳、环保有机肥，推动森林中药产业绿色低碳发展。近年来，东北、福建、江西、贵州等地区，积极发展具有地方优势的森林药材产业，成为这些森林资源富有地区的重要“钱库”，也为我国人民生命健康安全提供了优质药材保障。

Give play to the role of forests in natural health and convalescence. To accelerate the development of China’s forest-based health and convalescence industry and its related industries, and to better meet the people’s rapidly growing needs for forest convalescence, relevant departments have issued the “Opinions on Promoting the Development of the Forest Health and Convalescence Industry.” The document requires promoting the high-quality development of the forest health and convalescence industry, adhering to moderate development, rational development, and protective development, and protecting convalescence factors such as high-quality water sources, green food, and natural medicinal materials. In recent years, many places in China have developed forest health and convalescence industries by relying on forest resources. For example, the forest health and convalescence industry in Zhejiang Province has developed rapidly, effectively promoting forestry to become the largest industry and relatively well meeting the forest convalescence needs of the people in Zhejiang and surrounding areas.

发挥森林自然康养作用。为加快推进我国森林康养及其产业发展，更好满足人民快速增长的森林康养需要，相关部门出台了《关于促进森林康养产业发展的意见》。文件要求推动森林康养产业高质量发展，坚持适度开发、合理开发、保护性开发，保护好优质水源、绿色食品、天然药材等康养因子。近年来，我国不少地方依托森林资源发展森林康养产业，如浙江省森林康养产业发展迅猛，有力推动了林业成为第一大产业，较好满足了浙江及周边地区人民森林康养需求。

Give play to the role of forests in sports and fitness. To accelerate the development of China’s forest outdoor sports industry and better leverage the role of forests in sports and fitness, relevant departments have issued the “Outdoor Sports Industry Development Plan (2022–2025).” The document requires all regions to scientifically formulate development plans for the forest outdoor sports industry based on geographical conditions and forest resource characteristics, build high-quality infrastructure such as forest trails, bicycle paths, and hiking trails, and develop diverse forest sports programs such as hiking, running, mountaineering, cycling, yoga, and orienteering, in order to better meet the people’s growing needs for forest outdoor sports and material wealth growth as part of their aspirations for a better life.

发挥森林运动健身作用。为加快推进我国森林户外运动产业发展，更好发挥森林运动健身作用，有关部门发布了《户外运动产业发展规划(2022—2025年)》。文件要求各地结合地理条件与森林资源等特点，科学制定森林户外运动产业发展规划，建设高质量森林步道、自行车道、登山道等基础设施，开发徒步、跑步、登山、骑行、瑜伽、定向越野等多样森林运动项目，以更好满足人民群众不断增长的森林户外运动及物质财富增长等美好生活需要。

(IV) Give play to the life and health role of forests as a “carbon repository”

(四)发挥森林“碳库”的生命健康作用

The forest “carbon repository” has important life and health values, such as providing sufficient oxygen, purifying the air, and regulating the climate. We must protect and build forest oxygen bars, strive to achieve a carbon-oxygen balance, and make every effort to control greenhouse gases, fully leveraging the multiple life and health functions and roles of the forest “carbon repository,” so as to better meet the rapidly growing needs of the people in the New Era for sufficient oxygen, fresh air, negative oxygen ions, and for living in a suitable climate and livable temperature, as part of their life and health safety needs and high-quality life needs.

森林“碳库”具有提供充足氧气、净化空气、调节气候等重要生命健康价值。我们必须保护建设森林氧吧、努力实现碳氧平衡、尽力控制温室气体，充分发挥森林“碳库”多种生命健康功能与作用，以便更好满足新时代人民群众快速增长的充足氧气、清新空气、负氧离子，以及在适宜气候、宜居气温中生活等生命健康安全需要与高质量生活需要。

Give play to the role of forests as natural oxygen bars. The forest is an organic unity of a “carbon repository” and an oxygen repository. Building the forest “carbon repository” means building forest oxygen bars; creating natural oxygen bars means building the forest “carbon repository.” Creating natural oxygen bars and building forest oxygen repositories provide new impetus for building the forest “carbon repository.” In 2022, a total of 313 regions nationwide received the title of “China Natural Oxygen Bar.” As a new form of forest ecological service value, the forest oxygen bar, through its unique natural environment and artificially innovative products, provides people with a healthy environment rich in negative oxygen ions, thereby playing an important role in the life and health safety of the people.

发挥森林天然氧吧作用。森林是“碳库”与氧库的有机统一体，建设森林“碳库”就是建设森林氧吧，打造天然氧吧就是建设森林“碳库”。打造天然氧吧、建设森林氧库为建设森林“碳库”提供了新动力，2022年全国共有313个地区获得了“中国天然氧吧”称号。森林氧吧作为森林生态服务价值的新业态，通过其独特的自然环境与人工创新产品，为人们提供一个充满负氧离子的健康环境，从而发挥森林氧吧对人民生命健康安全的重要作用。

Give play to the role of forests in air purification. To meet the people’s need to breathe fresh air, we should accelerate the construction of forest cities and forest villages, continuously expanding green spaces in both urban and rural areas in China. Air pollution in cities is more severe than in rural areas; therefore, urban forests are even more important for the life and health of citizens. To leverage the life and health role of urban forests in air purification, “efforts must be made to carry out the construction of forest cities, improve urban greening, and make all suitable areas in cities green.” In recent years, through vigorously promoting the construction of forest cities, China has built a large number of national forest cities such as Beijing, Fuzhou, and Wuhan, providing effective guarantees for the life and health safety of the broad masses of the people.

发挥森林空气净化作用。满足人民呼吸清新空气需要，应加快森林城市与森林乡村建设，不断扩大我国城乡绿色空间。城市空气污染相比乡村空气问题更严重，因而城市森林对市民生命健康更为重要。发挥城市森林净化空气的生命健康作用，“要着力开展森林城市建设，搞好城市内绿化，使城市适宜绿化的地方都绿起来。”近年来，我国通过大力推进森林城市建设，建成了北京、福州、武汉等一大批国家森林城市，为广大人民生命健康安全提供了有效保障。

Give play to the role of forests in climate regulation. To actively respond to climate change, we must fully leverage the climate regulation role of forests. If fossil energy is the main cause of climate warming and a threat to human survival, then increasing wood energy and improving hydropower energy are effective ways to address climate change and protect people’s health. Forest wood resources can replace some fossil energy, and forest “water repositories” can generate electricity, with hydropower being a clean energy source. Forests can and have already played an important role in mitigating climate change: “China’s artificial afforestation scale is the largest in the world, and it continues to afforest. Greening the earth and improving global climate change—China has made an indelible contribution.”

发挥森林气候调节作用。积极应对气候变化必须充分发挥森林气候调节作用。如果说化石能源是导致气候变暖、威胁人类生存的主要原因，那么增加木材能源、提高水电能源是应对气候变化、保障人民健康的有效途径。森林木材资源可以替代部分化石能源，森林“水库”可以发电且水电是清洁能源。森林在减缓气候变化等方面，可以发挥而且已经发挥重要作用，“我国人工造林规模世界第一，而且还在继续造林。地球绿化，改善全球气候变化，中国功不可没。”

IV. Value Reshaping and Practical Pathways of the “Four Repositories” of Forests

四、森林“四库”的价值重塑与实践路径

Upholding the supremacy of the people’s life and health is of great significance. Forests are “reservoirs, grain repositories, money repositories, and carbon repositories,” and they hold important value for the people’s life and health security. We should fully leverage the life and health functions of the “four repositories” of forests. Understanding the “four repositories” theory of forests from the dimension of the people’s life and health reveals to us: first, we must comprehensively recognize the diverse values and functions of forests as a “treasure trove”; second, we must fully recognize and bring into play the life and health value and role of the “four repositories” of forests; third, we must adhere to a people’s health-centered approach to promote the linkage of the “four repositories”; and fourth, we must persist in the simultaneous implementation of the “three greens” to carry out large-scale land greening actions.

坚持人民生命健康至上具有重大意义，森林是“水库、粮库、钱库与碳库”，对人民生命健康安全具有重要价值，我们应充分发挥森林“四库”生命健康作用。从人民生命健康维度认识森林“四库”论，启示我们一要全面认识森林“宝库”的多元价值与功能，二要充分认识发挥森林“四库”生命健康价值作用，三要坚持以人民健康为中心推动“四库”联动，四要坚持“三绿”并举开展大规模国土绿化行动。

(I) Comprehensively Recognize the Diverse Values and Functions of Forests as a “Treasure Trove”

(一)全面认识森林“宝库”的多元价值与功能

Our understanding of the value and functions of forests has undergone a process of continuous deepening and comprehensive development, from the early “one repository” theory of forests, to the later “three repositories” theory, and now to the “four repositories” theory and the “treasure trove” theory of forests. For a long period after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, people’s understanding of forest value was limited to the economic dimension, primarily developing a timber economy centered on cutting down trees. Forestry development made significant contributions to socialist construction, while simultaneously placing enormous pressure on the forest ecological environment. General Secretary Xi Jin

我们对森林价值功能的认识经历了一个不断深化全面的过程，从早期森林“一库”论，到后来森林“三库”论，再到如今森林“四库”论与森林“宝库”论。在中华人民共和国成立后很长时期内，人们对森林价值的认识局限于经济层面，主要发展以砍树伐木为主的木材经济，林业发展为社会主义建设作出了巨大贡献，同时给森林生态环境带来巨大压力。习近平总书记一直关注森林、林业及其价值功能，早在福建宁德工作时就提出森林是“水库、钱库、粮库”论断，在其指导下宁德地区大力开展植树造林、国土绿化，主政福建后又积极推进“生态福建”建设，多年来福建森林覆盖率稳居全国首位。新时代以来，习近平总书记进一步提出森林“四库”论与森林“宝库”论，对森林多元价值功能的认识上升到了全新高度。森林既是“水库、粮库、钱库与碳库”，也是氧库、药库、健身库、康氧库，不仅具有生态价值、经济价值、社会价值，还有日益彰显的生命价值、健康价值及审美价值、文化价值等，“我们不仅会受益于森林所提供的清洁的空气和水、储存的碳以及栖息的物种，还会受益于森林提供的和平与安宁，它们的美丽和生命力，以及森林带给我们的其他福祉”。由此可知，森林不仅仅是水库、钱库、粮库与碳库，而且是维持人类生命健康与生存发展的“大宝库”，以森林为主的“青山绿水是无价之宝”。

(2) Fully Recognizing and Leveraging the Life and Health Value and Role of the “Four Repositories” of Forests

(二)充分认识发挥森林“四库”生命健康价值与作用

Breathing clean air, drinking clean water, eating safe food, and living in a livable environment serve not only to meet the people’s growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment but also to satisfy their increasing needs for life safety and physical health. To meet the people’s growing needs for a better life, including life and health safety and a beautiful ecological environment, it is essential to fully recognize and leverage the life and health value and role of the “four repositories” of forests. This is because the people’s life and health are closely linked to the “four repositories” of forests: water is the source of the people’s life and health, and forests act as reservoirs, water purifiers, and soil and water protectors, meeting the people’s needs for drinking water and clean water; food is the key to the people’s life and health, and forests serve as large granaries, nutrition repositories, and green food repositories, meeting the people’s needs for having enough to eat, eating well, and eating safe food; forests are the foundation of the people’s life and health, serving as medicine repositories, health and wellness repositories, and fitness repositories, meeting the people’s needs for drug safety, health preservation, and material wealth; air is the root of the people’s life and health, and forests act as natural oxygen bars, air purifiers, and climate regulators, meeting the people’s needs for fresh air and a suitable climate. On the surface, forests are “water repositories, grain repositories, money repositories, and carbon repositories,” but in reality, the “four repositories” of forests are the life repositories and health repositories of the people. If General Secretary Xi Jinping’s “four repositories” theory of forests reveals the indirect value and role of forests for the people’s life and health, then the statement that “a Beautiful China with blue skies, green land, and clear water means making the great rivers and mountains of the motherland healthy and making the Chinese nation healthy for generations to come” reveals the direct value and role of forests for the people’s life and health. Since the people’s life and health are closely related to the “four repositories” of forests, leveraging the life and health role of forests should promote the linkage of the “four repositories” and the simultaneous advancement of the “three greens.”

呼吸清洁空气、喝上干净的水、吃上放心食物、生活在宜居环境中，既是为了满足人民群众日益增长的优美生态环境需要，也是为了满足人民群众不断增长的生命安全和身体健康需要。满足人民日益增长的生命健康安全与优美生态环境等美好生活需要，必须充分认识并充分发挥森林“四库”的生命健康价值与作用。这是因为，人民生命健康与森林“四库”紧密相关:水是人民生命健康之源，森林是蓄水池、净水器与水土保护器，可以满足人民有水喝、喝干净水等需要;食品是人民生命健康之要，森林是大粮库、营养库与绿色粮库，可以满足人民吃饱饭、吃好饭、吃放心饭等需要;森林是人民生命健康之基，是药材库、康养库与健身库，可以满足人民药品安全、养生保健、物质财富等需要;空气是人民生命健康之本，森林是天然氧吧、空气净化器与气候调节器，可以满足人民清新空气、适宜气候等需要。从表面看森林是“水库、粮库、钱库与碳库”，实际上森林“四库”是人民群众的生命库与健康库。如果说习近平总书记提出的森林“四库”论揭示了森林对人民生命健康的间接价值与作用，那么天蓝地绿水清的“美丽中国就是要使祖国大好河山都健康，使中华民族世世代代都健康”揭示了森林对人民生命健康的直接价值与作用。既然人民生命健康与森林“四库”息息相关，那么发挥森林生命健康作用就应推动“四库”联动、“三绿”并举。

(3) Adhering to a People’s Health-Centered Approach to Promote the Linkage of the “Four Repositories” of Forests

(三)坚持以人民健康为中心推动森林“四库”联动

The “four repositories” of forests are not independent “water repositories, grain repositories, money repositories, and carbon repositories,” but rather “a great treasure house that integrates water repositories, money repositories, grain repositories, and carbon repositories.” Theoretically, the “four repositories” of forests are interdependent, mutually reinforcing, and symbiotically thriving. Only by leveraging the roles of forests as “water repositories,” “grain repositories,” and “carbon repositories” can forest water sources, forest food, and forest carbon sinks be transformed into “money repositories,” and vice versa. However, in practice, the functions and roles of the “four repositories” of forests are not always aligned; on the contrary, they are often in conflict. Engels repeatedly criticized that people destroyed forests to obtain farmland, only to lose water and turn the land into barren wasteland. In southern China, the widespread promotion of eucalyptus planting, while having high economic value, raises concerns about ecological value, earning it the labels “water pump” and “tyrant tree.” Therefore, we cannot recognize and leverage the value and role of the “four repositories” of forests in isolation; instead, we should consider them comprehensively, promote them systematically, and drive the organic linkage of the “four repositories.” Safeguarding the people’s life and health safety is the most essential, core value and ultimate destination of forests, so adhering to a “people’s health-centered” approach is key to promoting the linkage of the “four repositories” of forests. In other words, to promote the virtuous cycle, mutual reinforcement, and effective linkage of the “four repositories” of forests, and to achieve the organic unity of increasing forest water repository capacity, increasing forest grain repository output, increasing forest money repository income, and increasing forest carbon repository efficiency, it is urgently necessary for us to uphold the primacy of the people’s life and prioritize the people’s health, taking the people’s life and health safety as the primary principle for promoting the linkage of the “four repositories” of forests. This is an inevitable requirement for adhering to the people-centered development concept and implementing the health-first development strategy, and it is also a concrete manifestation of practicing the principle that “a good ecological environment is the foundation for human survival and health” and that lucid waters and lush mountains are “an important guarantee for the people’s health.”

森林“四库”不是独立的“水库、粮库、钱库与碳库”，而是“集水库、钱库、粮库与碳库于一身的‘大宝库’”。从理论上讲，森林“四库”是相互依存、互促共进、共生共荣的关系，只有发挥森林“水库”“粮库”与“碳库”作用才能让森林水源、森林食品、森林碳库等转化为“钱库”，反之亦然。但从实践看，森林“四库”功能作用发挥并不总是一致的，相反，经常处于矛盾冲突中。恩格斯曾多次批评指出，人们为了得到耕地、毁坏了森林，结果却失去水分、成为不毛之地。我国南方地区大力推广种植桉树，虽具有较高经济价值，但生态价值堪忧，被称为“抽水机”“霸王树”。因此，我们不能孤立认识并发挥森林“四库”价值与作用，而应该统筹考虑、系统推进、推动“四库”有机联动。维护人民生命健康安全是森林最本质、最核心的价值与最终归宿，因此坚持“以人民健康为中心”是推动森林“四库”联动的关键所在。换言之，推动森林“四库”良性循环、互促共进、有效联动，实现森林水库增容、森林粮库增产、森林钱库增收、森林碳库增效有机统一，迫切需要我们坚持人民生命至上、人民健康优先，将人民生命健康安全作为推动森林“四库”联动的首要原则。这是坚持以人民为中心发展理念、实施健康优先发展战略的必然要求，也是践行“良好的生态环境是人类生存与健康的基础”，绿水青山是“人民群众健康的重要保障”的具体体现。

(4) Adhering to the Simultaneous Advancement of the “Three Greens” to Carry Out Large-Scale Land Greening Actions

(四)坚持“三绿”并举开展大规模国土绿化行动

Forests are “water repositories, grain repositories, money repositories, and carbon repositories,” meaning that forests come first, followed by the “four repositories” of forests. As the saying goes, “when the skin is gone, what can the hair attach itself to?” Without forests, there would be no “four repositories” of forests. The prerequisite for leveraging the role of the “four repositories” of forests is to build healthy forests. “Afforestation is an important pathway to achieving blue skies, green land, and clean water.” Greening the motherland must adhere to the simultaneous advancement of the “three greens”: expanding green areas, protecting green areas, and revitalizing green areas. In terms of expanding green areas, we should continue to promote afforestation, deeply carry out voluntary tree-planting activities for all, plant trees where suitable for trees and grass where suitable for grass, match tree species to sites and methods to seasons, seize every opportunity to plant trees and carry out three-dimensional greening, focusing on both increasing quantity and improving quality, without pursuing rare trees or exotic flowers and grasses, planting trees for the people and benefiting the masses, and taking a scientific, ecological, and economical path of greening development. In terms of protecting green areas, we should prioritize forest protection, not only planting more trees and planting them well but also managing and protecting them well, safeguarding the greening achievements from years of voluntary tree-planting, closely monitoring and carrying out forest fire prevention and extinguishing work, deeply conducting investigations and rectifications of major forest hazards, improving and implementing the natural forest protection system, protecting every inch of green, guarding the lucid waters and lush mountains of the motherland, and enabling the broad masses of the people to enjoy a high-quality life. In terms of revitalizing green areas, “if people are encouraged to seek health in forests, then forests will be better protected.” This means that fully recognizing and leveraging the life and health value and role of the “four repositories” of forests can provide a fundamental driving force for people’s actions to love and protect green areas and to carry out land greening actions. To this end, we should actively explore and continuously expand the pathways and methods for transforming the “four repositories” of forests into life and health repositories for the people, striving to achieve the organic unity of multiple value functions of forests, including ecological, economic, and health functions.

森林是“水库、粮库、钱库与碳库”，这是说先有森林后有森林“四库”，正所谓皮之不存、毛将焉附，没有森林也就没有森林“四库”。发挥森林“四库”作用的前提条件是建设健康森林，“植树造林是实现天蓝、地绿、水净的重要途径”，绿化祖国必须坚持扩绿兴绿护绿“三绿”并举。扩绿方面，我们应持续推进植树造林，深入开展全民义务植树活动，宜林则林、宜草则草，适地适树、适时适法，见缝插针、立体绿化，既要增加数量更要提高质量，不追求名贵树木、奇花异草，为人民种树、为群众造福，走科学、生态、节俭的绿化发展之路。护绿方面，我们应坚持森林保护优先，既要多种树、种好树，更要管好树、护好树，保护好多年义务植树取得的绿化成果，密切关注并做好森林防火灭火工作，深入开展森林重大隐患排查整治，完善落实好天然林保护制度，保护好每一寸绿色，守护好祖国绿水青山，让广大人民群众过上高品质生活。兴绿方面，“如果鼓励人们在森林中寻找健康，那么森林就会受到更好的保护”，这就是说，充分认识发挥森林“四库”生命健康价值作用，可以为人们爱绿护绿行为、开展国土绿化行动提供根本动力。为此，我们应积极探索、不断拓展森林“四库”转化为人民生命健康库的方式路径，努力实现森林生态、经济、健康等多种价值功能的有机统一。