Huang Juan and Chen Shuai: The Human Life and Health Dimension of the Forest "Four Reservoirs" Theory
The theory of the forest as "four reservoirs"—short for the forest as a "water reservoir, grain reservoir, money reservoir, and carbon reservoir"—is a significant discourse by Xi Jinping regarding the value and function of forests, and constitutes an organic component of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. In recent years, Xi Jinping has successively proposed that forests are not only water, money, and grain reservoirs, but also carbon reservoirs; he characterized the forest as a "great treasure house" integrating these four roles, vividly summarizing the forest’s diverse values and multiple functions. In 2024, while participating in a voluntary tree-planting activity, he further pointed out that the role of China's forest "treasure house" has not yet been fully exerted, and called for promoting better linkage between the forest's roles as "water, money, grain, and carbon reservoirs." During the 2025 voluntary tree-planting activity, he emphasized once again the need to promote this "four reservoirs" linkage and proposed that afforestation is a crucial link in the construction of ecological civilization—representing a new judgment on the current status and future potential of the forest’s "treasure house" role. The "four reservoirs" theory provides a new conceptual framework for understanding and ensuring national security in areas such as water security, food security, economic security, climate security, and the safety of the people’s lives and health. Exploring the "four reservoirs" theory from the dimension of the people’s lives and health is of great theoretical and practical significance for enriching and deepening research on Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, Xi Jinping’s discourses on a Healthy China, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as well as for mobilizing the "four reservoirs," promoting their linkage, and advancing the health and safety of the people.
I. The Major Significance of Upholding the Supremacy of the People’s Lives and Health
Upholding the principle of "people first, life first," prioritizing the safety of people’s lives and their physical and mental health, integrating health into all policies, and "implementing a strategy of giving priority to health development" are the value pursuits and fundamental requirements of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the New Era. Human health is closely linked to forests, and as humanity and nature form a community of life, any understanding of the value and role of the forest "four reservoirs" must adhere to the philosophy of the supremacy of the people’s lives and the prioritization of health. This is because "health is a necessary requirement for promoting the well-rounded development of the individual; it is a foundational condition for economic and social development, an important hallmark of national prosperity and strength, and a common pursuit of the broad masses of the people."
(1) Health is a common pursuit of the broad masses of the people The safety of life, health, and longevity have been common pursuits for people throughout history, both in China and abroad. For every individual, life happens only once; the most precious thing a person has is life. Sun Simiao [1] long ago proposed that "human life is of the utmost gravity, worth more than a thousand pieces of gold." Life and health are organic components and the vital foundation of the people’s happy and beautiful lives. The people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security are inseparable from health: "Health is the '1,' and everything else is the '0s' that follow it. If the '1' is gone, nothing else remains." While having health does not mean possessing everything, not having health is equivalent to having nothing. Physical health is the important foundation for every individual’s growth and the realization of a happy life. United Nations surveys show that the desire for good health ranks first among global human needs, and the "China Economic Life Survey" [2] found that health status is the primary factor affecting the happiness of the Chinese people. Since entering the New Era, "along with the continuous improvement of economic and social development and the people’s living standards, the masses have attached greater importance to the quality of life and the safety of health, and health needs have begun to manifest diverse and differentiated characteristics." Coupled with the test and baptism of the three-year pandemic, the safety of life and health has increasingly become a major issue of concern for the masses. The World Health Organization considers health to encompass multiple aspects including physical, mental, social, and moral health. An individual who is healthy in physiology, psychology, society, and morality should be a person who achieves well-rounded development in terms of "morality, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor" [3]. This means that life and health are the main aspects and fundamental basis of the well-rounded development of the person. Upholding the supremacy of the people’s lives and health is an inevitable requirement for meeting the health needs of the people and promoting their well-rounded development.
(2) Health is the fundamental goal of advancing the Healthy China initiative Comprehensively advancing the construction of a Healthy China is one of the four major tasks of social and livelihood construction in the New Era. Ensuring the safety of the lives and the physical and mental health of the masses is a major task for our Party in governing the country. With the acceleration of industrialization, urbanization, and the aging of the population, as well as continuous changes in the ecological environment, modes of production, and lifestyles, China faces a complex situation where multiple disease threats coexist and various health-influencing factors are intertwined. This primarily includes the increasing burden of chronic and infectious diseases; the non-negligible hazards of emerging infectious diseases; and less-than-optimistic issues concerning environmental health, food safety, occupational safety, and production safety. Problems concerning the people’s lives and health have gradually evolved into major livelihood issues in China, and safeguarding them has become a major "project for winning the people’s hearts." [4]
"If the people's health level is low, if the masses cannot receive timely assistance when ill, or if disease control is ineffective and infectious diseases spread, not only will the people’s living standards and quality be significantly impacted, but society will also pay a heavy price." Precisely for this reason, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee explicitly proposed the requirements for building a Healthy China. Subsequently, China released 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 to the 20th CPC National Congress once again proposed "advancing the construction of a Healthy China," and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed "implementing a strategy of giving priority to health development." Advancing the construction of a Healthy China and implementing a strategy of giving priority to health development are the fundamental paths to achieving the health of the people and ensuring the health of the entire nation; they mark China’s shift from a treatment-centered approach to a people's health-centered approach.
(3) Health is a foundational condition for economic and social development Classical Marxism holds that the productive forces are the fundamental driving force of economic and social development, and laborers are the core and key element of the productive forces. Health is an important component of human capital today, 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 can be attributed to improvements in human health; the role of the "health dividend" in promoting economic and social development has become increasingly prominent. As an important carrier for safeguarding people's health and improving human capital, the health industry belongs to the "sunrise" industries, green industries, and strategic emerging industries. It represents advanced productive forces, new quality productive forces, and green productive forces. Developing the health industry can stimulate new investment, absorb more employment, and drive industrial upgrading, thereby promoting green, healthy, and sustainable economic development. Conversely, if the problems of the people’s lives and health are not effectively resolved, they will inevitably restrict economic development and affect social harmony and stability. In particular, "major acute infectious diseases spread rapidly and cause enormous harm; if mishandled or countered improperly, they not only seriously affect the daily lives of the masses but also cause public panic, social instability, and erode the achievements of years of economic and social construction." The COVID-19 pandemic was the most severe infectious disease the world has seen in a century and the most significant major public health emergency China has encountered since the founding of the People's Republic. Its negative impacts on global and Chinese economic and social development have not yet been eliminated. Both positive and negative facts warn us that the people’s health is the foundational condition for sustainable economic and social development; we must always adhere to a people's health-centered approach and the supremacy of the people’s lives and health.
(4) Health is an important hallmark of building a strong nation and national rejuvenation On the new journey in the New Era, the central task of the CPC is to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization—that is, to comprehensively advance the cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization. "The people’s health is an important hallmark of socialist modernization." The people’s health is an important hallmark of a strong country and a flourishing nation; only with the people’s health can there be strong comprehensive national power and sustainable development capabilities. If the economy develops but the ecology is destroyed, the environment deteriorates, and people cannot eat safe food, drink clean water, breathe fresh air, or live in a habitable environment, that kind of modernization is not what the people desire. Therefore, a Chinese path to modernization must be a modernization of health, and the dream of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation must be a dream of the people's health. As Professor He Chuanqi, Director of the China Center for Modernization Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), stated: Without the modernization of health, there is no modernization of the person, and thus no modernization of the state. The modernization of health is an important connotation of national modernization; without it, there is no national modernization. If the people's health is the foundation of one’s personal existence, then the health of the whole nation is the foundation of the country’s existence. This requires us to place the safety of the people’s lives and health in a strategic position of prioritized development, to accelerate the construction of a Healthy China, and to 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 basically meeting the safety needs of the people's lives and health by 2035 and ensuring that the Chinese people enjoy a more happy and healthy life by the middle of the 21st century.
II. The Forest "Four Reservoirs" Possess Important Value for Life and Health
Nature is the mother of human life; humanity relies on the natural world for survival. Forests hold significant value for the safety of the people's lives and health. Not only do they possess direct health value for wound healing, disease treatment, anxiety relief, and the reduction of worries, but they also provide vital resources upon which humanity depends, such as clean air, pure water sources, abundant food ingredients, and medicinal herbs. Therefore, viewed from the dimension of the people's lives and health, forests are not merely "reservoirs of water, grain, money, and carbon," but more specifically, they are reservoirs of life and health that concern the safety of the people.
(1) The forest "water reservoir" is the source of the people's life and health "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. To ensure that the masses have water to drink—and that they drink clean, safe water—we must ensure that the volume of water is abundant, the water quality is high, and the scenery is beautiful. The forest "water reservoir" possesses functional values such as conserving water sources, purifying water quality, and maintaining soil and water. It plays an irreplaceable role in alleviating water resource constraints, water pollution, and water ecological destruction, thereby safeguarding the safety of the people’s lives and their physical and mental health.
Forests are natural storage tanks. Water is the source of human life and health; having water to drink is the most basic human need. Conserving water sources is a primary function of the forest: the forest is the best tool for water retention; it is the "Ministry of Finance" of water and the most cost-effective reservoir. The annual volume of water conserved by forests nationwide reaches 628.958 billion cubic meters, equivalent to 16 Three Gorges Reservoirs. Water scarcity is a massive global threat today. China is a country with an extreme shortage of water resources, with two-thirds of its cities experiencing water scarcity or severe scarcity. Fully recognizing the value of forests in conserving water is an inevitable requirement for alleviating China’s insufficient water supply and meeting the people’s need for drinking water.
Forests are natural water purifiers. "How can one have a healthy body without drinking clean water?" The safety of the people's lives and health requires that drinking water be clean and safe. High-quality water grants the people health and longevity; poor-quality water brings disease and death. Purifying water quality is a primary function of the forest. Forest species are complex and the forest floor is loose, forming a multi-layered structure with strong capabilities for interception, filtration, adsorption, and degradation; it is often called the "green reservoir where the water is hidden." Water pollution is the number one killer facing the world today and a prominent environmental problem that has troubled China for many years. To continue winning the battle for clear water and to let the people drink clean water, we must fully recognize the forest's vital value in purifying water quality.
Forests are soil and water protectors. Soil erosion is a prominent ecological issue threatening human life and health, and the destruction of forests is the root cause of soil erosion and other environmental problems. "The vast majority of the country's water resources are conserved in mountain hills and plateaus. If the mountains are damaged and the forests are cleared, the water is destroyed; the mountains become barren, the water turns into floods, silt flows down, and the land becomes a nutrient-free wasteland of erosion and gullies." This means that forests are the important ecological carrier for preventing and controlling soil erosion. To solve the problem of soil erosion and maintain the health of the people’s lives, we must recognize and utilize the forest's value in soil and water conservation.
(2) The forest "grain reservoir" is the essential requirement for the people’s life and health A country is based on its people, and for the people, food is heaven; yet for food, safety comes first. Dietary needs are the most basic life needs of humanity, and food is a key factor affecting the life and health of the people. Since the beginning of the New Era, the people’s food needs have undergone great changes: they must not only have enough to eat, but also eat well and eat with peace of mind. The forest is a vast natural grain reservoir, a natural nutrition reservoir, and a large green grain reservoir. The forest "grain reservoir" is of great significance for ensuring China’s food security, food safety, and the safety of the people’s lives and health, as well as for achieving the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.
Forests are vast natural grain reservoirs. Food security is a fundamental issue concerning human survival. Forests provide humanity with a wide variety of delicacies for free, such as what people call...
...such as chestnuts, known as "iron-clad grain," and walnuts, the "world’s oil king." We must "seek food from the forests, developing woody grain and oilseeds as well as forest foods." Currently, forests have become a vital component of China’s granary. "The annual output of forest food nationwide exceeds 200 million tons, making it the third most important agricultural product in China after grains and vegetables, with a per capita forest food output of around 130 kilograms, ranking among the world's highest." This has contributed actively to safeguarding the lives, health, and security of our people.
Forests are a natural warehouse of nutrition. Ensuring the safety of life and physical health of the masses requires not only sufficient nutrition but also balanced nutrition. Forests are referred to as "rice bags," "vegetable baskets," "oil bottles," "meat platters," and "fruit boxes." The plants, animals, and microorganisms within forests contain a variety of nutrients required by the human body. For example, hazelnuts are rich in protein, fat, starch, and vitamins, and are a key nut recommended by China’s dietary guidelines; kiwifruit is rich in vitamins and protein, which can effectively enhance human immunity. Clearly, forest foods play a significant role in enriching the national diet, optimizing dietary structures, and promoting nutritional balance.
Forests are a vast green granary. Food safety concerns the "safety at the tip of the tongue" for over 1.4 billion people and relates to the physical health and life safety of the broad masses. Forest foods originate from forest ecosystems and follow the natural growth laws of flora and fauna. Free from synthetic chemical additives, they are characterized by their original ecology, lack of pollution, and green safety, and are renowned for being organic, diverse, and health-promoting. By providing green, healthy, nutritious, and safe food for the Chinese people’s rice bowls [5], forests not only satisfy the need for the masses to "be full" and "eat well," but also meet people's increasing demands for food safety, life security, and physical and mental health.
(3) The Forest "Money Reservoir" is the Foundation of People's Life and Health
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" [6]; "lucid waters and lush mountains are not only invaluable assets but also an important guarantee for the health of the masses." As the awareness of life, health, and safety continues to grow among the masses, the demand for life and health services such as medicinal materials, wellness tourism (kangyang [7]), and fitness is rapidly increasing. Industries like forest medicine, forest wellness, and forest sports are gradually becoming important ways for China to explore the forest "money reservoir."
Forests are a natural storehouse of medicinal materials. China’s forest medicinal resources are abundant, earning it the reputation of a "treasure house of medicine." Forest medicinal materials are a vital source of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), primarily including various plant and animal medicines such as the well-known ginseng, lingzhi mushrooms, and deer antler. Because forest medicines grow in natural environments far from industrial pollution and chemical pesticides, they are natural, green, and pollution-free, making them safer and more reliable with fewer side effects. In recent years, the forest medicine industry has become increasingly prominent in the development of the health industry and local economic growth, becoming a method for realizing the forest "money reservoir" in many regions.
Forests are a natural warehouse of wellness. Forest wellness is a new business model in the health industry and a new form of the forest "money reservoir." Forests are sources of high-quality water, green food, and natural medicinal materials; they possess negative oxygen ions, phytoncides, suitable temperatures, and natural sounds such as birdsong, insect chirps, and flowing water—all precious gifts bestowed by forests upon humanity. Lin Yutang [8] once said that nature itself is forever a sanatorium, and that trees have spiritual healing powers, being places for treating all worldly thoughts and ailments of the soul. Forests provide humanity with a superlative destination for returning to nature and cultivating the body and mind; forest wellness is a wealth and health treasure bestowed by nature.
Forests are an outdoor sports warehouse. Physical exercise is one of the four cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle. Engaging in outdoor sports in nature makes us happier, less prone to fatigue, and provides more lasting vitality than indoor exercise. Exercising in the forest can increase the depth and frequency of breathing, allowing for the inhalation of fresh air and negative oxygen ions, thereby strengthening the practitioner's cardiopulmonary function. Natural scenery relaxes the mind and body, and the forest environment keeps people away from the hustle and bustle, reducing negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. Forest outdoor sports hold multi-dimensional value for people's lives and health and have become a new way for many localities to tap into the forest "money reservoir" and create material wealth.
(4) The Forest "Carbon Sink" is the Root of People's Life and Health
Air is the fundamental element for maintaining human life and health; high-quality air is vital. Inhaling sufficient oxygen and fresh air and living in a suitable climate are essential conditions for human survival. By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through photosynthesis, forests are not only important "carbon sinks" but also natural oxygen bars, air purifiers, and temperature regulators. They can provide ample oxygen, purify polluted air, and regulate climate and temperature, which is of great value in guaranteeing the safety of people's lives and promoting their physical and mental health.
Forests are vast natural oxygen bars. Oxygen affects every part of our bodies and is the root of sustaining human life and health. Forests are both consumers of carbon dioxide and factories for manufacturing oxygen; the carbon sink and the oxygen reservoir constitute two sides of the same coin. The carbon sequestration and oxygen release of forests maintain the Earth's carbon-oxygen balance: "Every cubic meter increase in forest stock can absorb 1.83 tons of carbon dioxide and release 1.62 tons of oxygen." Forests are also rich in health-promoting substances such as negative oxygen ions and phytoncides. Immersing oneself in a forest oxygen bar has obvious health-preserving and healthcare effects; "forest breathing" (senhuxi) has become a new fashion for the Chinese people in their pursuit of a high-quality life.
Forests are air purifiers. The safety of human life and health is closely linked to air quality, and breathing fresh air concerns the people’s sense of a happy and beautiful life. Forests have the vital function of purifying the air and "spitting out the foul while taking in the fresh" (tuwu naxin [9]). They are the largest "carbon storage" and most economical "carbon absorbers" on land, as well as the best filters for pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides. Therefore, forests are called the "lungs of the earth"—they "not only have the value of the timber itself but also the green lung effect." To continue fighting the "battle for blue skies," basically eliminate heavy pollution weather, and ensure the people breathe fresh air, we must fully recognize the important value of forests in purifying air and promoting health.
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 threat of global warming is underestimated; the number of deaths caused by climate change may far exceed those of the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 5 million deaths annually attributed to abnormal high and low temperatures. Forests can absorb carbon dioxide and reduce greenhouse gases, and trees can mitigate the urban "heat island effect." Precisely because forests function as natural air conditioners, as global warming continues and temperatures rise, more and more people are choosing to go to the forest in summer to escape the heat.
III. Fully Bringing into Play the Life and Health Functions of the Forest "Four Reservoirs"
Our understanding of the value and functions of forests is becoming increasingly comprehensive: "forests are a great treasure house integrating water, grain, money, and carbon sinks." However, the role of the forest "treasure house" has not yet been fully realized. There may be many reasons for this, not least of which is our insufficient understanding and utilization of the life and health value of the forest "four reservoirs." Regarding the relationship between humanity and nature, what people care about first and most is their own life, health, and safety. Therefore, the key to fully bringing into play the role of the forest "treasure house" is to fully exert the life and health functions of the forest "four reservoirs."
(1) Exerting the Life and Health Function of the Forest "Water Reservoir"
For human life and health, water is the most important substance second only to air. Addressing China’s increasingly severe water safety issues—such as those concerning water resources, water environment, and water ecology—requires us to attach great importance to the functions of the forest "water reservoir" in conserving water sources, purifying water quality, and maintaining soil and water. Based on a full understanding of the life and health value of the forest "water reservoir," we must fully exert its role to better satisfy the people's growing basic life and health needs for accessible water, clean drinking water, and soil and water security.
Exerting the forest’s role in conserving water sources. Water is the source of human civilization: "The four great ancient civilizations—Ancient Egypt, Ancient Babylon, Ancient India, and Ancient China—all originated in regions with dense forests, abundant water, and fertile fields." The Saihanba Forest Farm [10] is the world’s largest man-made forest, built through the efforts of three generations; it conserves 284 million cubic meters of water and purifies fresh water for the Luan and Liao River regions every year. History and reality tell us that to address water shortages, we must exert the forest’s role in water conservation. To solve the severe water shortage in North China, besides measures like the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and water conservation, protecting ecological spaces such as forests is a key measure.
Exerting the forest’s role in purifying water quality. Purifying water quality is a primary function of the forest "water reservoir," and protecting forests is the best way to obtain low-cost clean water. David Cassells, a senior environmental expert on forest resources for the World Bank, believes that for many cities, protecting forests around catchment areas is not a luxury but a necessity; rather than spending huge effort and money on treating sewage, it is better to protect forests in a balanced and long-term manner. In recent years, to ensure that "a reservoir of clear water flows north," the Danjiangkou Reservoir [11] has actively carried out tree-planting and greening, governance, and restoration actions—controlling the "axe," protecting the "mountaintops," and guarding the "source"—making an important contribution to the drinking water safety of the people in northern regions.
Exerting the forest’s role in soil and water conservation. Mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, and grasslands are a community of life. "Man's lifeblood lies in the fields, the fields' lifeblood lies in the water, the water's lifeblood lies in the mountains, the mountains' lifeblood lies in the soil, and the soil's lifeblood lies in the trees." In short, human life depends on water, and water’s life depends on trees. To manage water, one must manage the mountains; to manage the mountains, one must manage the forests. Afforestation is the fundamental strategy for conserving soil and water and protecting life. Changting, Fujian, was once one of the four areas in China with the most serious soil erosion. After years of afforestation and comprehensive management of soil erosion, it has transformed from a "flame mountain" into a "mountain of flowers and fruit." The "Changting Experience" has become a national model and has gone global.
(2) Exerting the Life and Health Function of the Forest "Granary"
China is a major country with over 1.4 billion people, and solving the problem of feeding the population is the top priority in national governance. "Eating" is not just about consuming grain; meat, eggs, milk, fruits, vegetables, fish, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots are all delicacies. Besides arable land, China has over 4 billion mu (approx. 267 million hectares) of forest land and nearly 4 billion mu of grassland resources. We should establish a "Greater Food Outlook," accelerate the construction of a diversified food supply system, and seek food from the vast forest and other territorial spaces beyond limited arable land. This is the only path to satisfying our people’s needs to be full, to eat well, and to eat with peace of mind.
Exerting the role of the forest as a natural granary. To satisfy the basic life needs of the people to be full, we should protect and build the vast forest granary. At the national level: conduct forest surveys and base-lining, issue preferential policies for forest grain, increase investment in human, financial, and material resources, and establish major special scientific research projects. At the local level: localities should well-plan the development of forest "granaries." For example, Sichuan Province is a major province for forest resources and has issued the "Implementation Plan for Constructing the 'Tianfu Forest Granary,'" aiming to become a high-level national model province for forest granaries by 2030. At the enterprise level: vigorously tap into characteristic forest resources, optimize and breed forest food varieties, and actively create famous brands for forest food.
Exerting the role of the forest as a nutritional warehouse. To satisfy the life and health needs of the people to eat well, we should fully exert the role of forest food's diverse varieties, "seeking food from forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, and seas, and seeking calories and protein from plants, animals, and microorganisms." We must accelerate the development and utilization of various new forest ingredients such as insects, and develop forest food sources in an all-round and multi-channel way to provide people with diverse and nutritious food. In recent years, Sanming City in Fujian has put full effort into building a southern forest food base, developing five major forest ecological products—forest grains and oils, medicinal materials, vegetables, beverages, and fungi—effectively meeting the life and health demands for food diversification and nutrition.
Exerting the role of the forest as a green granary. To satisfy the people's needs for a beautiful life, such as the pursuit of food safety, we should respect the characteristics of the forest ecosystem and natural ecological laws. We should use superior seeds, methods, and techniques to create more "green granaries" and provide the masses with green, safe, and healthy forest food. Oil tea (Camellia oleifera) is a unique organic edible oil in China, playing a specific role in preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and improving people's health. To exert the unique life and health function of oil tea, we must first protect the oil tea woody plants, and on this basis, "adhere to the path of green development, promote new technologies, develop deep processing, and make the oil tea industry better and larger."
(3) Exerting the Life and Health Function of the Forest "Money Reservoir"
The health industry has been a key development area in China in recent years and a significant aspect of accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of industries. Fully bringing into play the forest—
The life-health function of the "money reservoir" not only requires us to actively explore ways and means to transform the forest "water reservoir," "grain reservoir," and "carbon reservoir" into a "money reservoir," but also necessitates the vigorous development of forest health industries—such as forest medicine, forest wellness (森林康养), and forest sports—to accelerate the organic integration of the forest’s ecological, economic, and health values.
First, we must leverage the role of forests as sources of natural medicinal materials. To meet the people's rising demand for drug safety and high-quality medicinal ingredients, we must strengthen the protection of forest Chinese medicine resources. This involves the rational utilization of forest medicinal materials, protecting wild medicinal biological resources, and nurturing the ecological environment of the forest. We should explore new models of ecological and green cultivation, selecting green, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly organic fertilizers to promote the green, low-carbon development of the forest Chinese medicine industry. In recent years, regions such as Northeast China, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guizhou have actively developed forest medicinal industries based on local advantages. These have become important "money reservoirs" for these resource-rich areas while providing high-quality medicinal guarantees for the life and health security of the Chinese people.
Second, we must leverage the natural wellness function of forests. To accelerate the development of forest wellness and its related industries and better meet the rapidly growing demand for forest-based convalescence, relevant departments issued the Opinions on Promoting the Development of the Forest Wellness Industry. The document calls for the high-quality development of the forest wellness industry, adhering to the principle of moderate, rational, and protective development [12], while safeguarding high-quality water sources, green food, natural medicinal materials, and other wellness factors. In recent years, many places in China have relied on forest resources to develop wellness industries. For instance, the forest wellness industry in Zhejiang Province has grown rapidly, effectively driving forestry to become a primary industry and satisfying the forest wellness needs of the people in Zhejiang and its surrounding areas.
Third, we must leverage the role of forests in physical exercise and fitness. To speed up the development of China’s forest outdoor sports industry and better utilize the fitness functions of forests, relevant authorities released the Outdoor Sports Industry Development Plan (2022–2025). The document requires various localities to scientifically formulate forest outdoor sports industry development plans based on geographical conditions and forest resource characteristics. This includes constructing high-quality forest trails, cycling paths, and hiking trails, as well as developing diverse forest sports projects—such as hiking, running, mountaineering, cycling, yoga, and orienteering—to better meet the people’s growing needs for forest outdoor sports and a "better life" (美好生活) characterized by increased material wealth.
(IV) Leveraging the life-health function of the forest "carbon reservoir"
The forest "carbon reservoir" possesses vital life-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 do our utmost to control greenhouse gases. By fully exerting the multiple life-health functions of the forest "carbon reservoir," we can better meet the rapidly growing needs of the people in the New Era for sufficient oxygen, fresh air, and negative oxygen ions, as well as their needs for life-health security and a high-quality life within a suitable climate and livable temperatures.
First, we must leverage the role of forests as natural oxygen bars. Forests are an organic unity of "carbon reservoirs" and oxygen reservoirs; building a forest "carbon reservoir" is synonymous with building a forest oxygen bar, and creating a natural oxygen bar is equivalent to building a forest "carbon reservoir." The creation of natural oxygen bars has provided new momentum for the construction of forest "carbon reservoirs." In 2022, a total of 313 regions in China were awarded the title of "China Natural Oxygen Bar." As a new business format within forest ecosystem service value, the forest oxygen bar provides a healthy environment rich in negative oxygen ions through its unique natural conditions and innovative man-made products, thereby playing a crucial role in safeguarding the people's life and health.
Second, we must leverage the air purification function of forests. To meet the people's need for breathing fresh air, we should accelerate the construction of "forest cities" and "forest villages," continuously expanding the green space in our urban and rural areas. Since urban air pollution is generally more severe than in rural areas, urban forests are even more vital for the life and health of citizens. To utilize the air-purifying life-health function of urban forests, "we must focus on the construction of forest cities and urban greening, ensuring that every place in the city suitable for greenery is turned green." In recent years, by vigorously promoting forest city construction, China has established a large number of National Forest Cities—such as Beijing, Fuzhou, and Wuhan—providing effective safeguards for the life and health security of the broad masses.
Third, we must leverage the climate-regulating function of forests. Actively responding to climate change requires giving full play to the forest's role in climate regulation. If fossil energy is the primary cause of global warming and a threat to human survival, then increasing timber-based energy and enhancing hydropower energy are effective paths to tackle climate change and protect people's health. Forest timber resources can replace some fossil fuels, and forest "water reservoirs" can generate electricity, which—in the form of hydropower—is a clean energy source. Forests can and do play a significant role in mitigating climate change: "China ranks first in the world in terms of the scale of man-made forests, and afforestation continues. China’s contribution to greening the planet and improving global climate change is indispensable."
IV. Value Reshaping and Practical Paths for the Forest “Four Reservoirs”
Adhering to the principle of "life and health above all else" is of great significance. Forests serve as "water reservoirs, grain reservoirs, money reservoirs, and carbon reservoirs," possessing vital value for the security of human life and health. We should give full play to the life-health role of these "four reservoirs." Understanding the "four reservoirs" theory from the dimension of human life and health provides us with various insights: first, we must comprehensively understand the diverse values and functions of the forest as a "treasure house"; second, we must fully recognize the life-health value of the "four reservoirs"; third, we must persist in a "people-centered" (以人为中心) approach to health to promote the linkage of the "four reservoirs"; and fourth, we must adhere to the "three greens" [13] approach and carry out large-scale national greening campaigns.
(I) Comprehensively understanding the diverse values and functions of the forest "treasure house"
Our understanding of the value and functions of forests has undergone a process of continuous deepening and expansion, moving from the early "single reservoir" theory to the "three reservoirs" theory, and now to the "four reservoirs" and "treasure house" theories. For a long period after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the understanding of forest value was confined to the economic level, primarily developing a timber economy based on logging. While forestry development made a huge contribution to socialist construction, it also placed immense pressure on the forest’s ecological environment. General Secretary Xi Jinping has long tracked the value and functions of forests and forestry. As early as his period working in Ningde, Fujian [14], he proposed the thesis that forests are "water reservoirs, money reservoirs, and grain reservoirs." Under this guidance, the Ningde region vigorously carried out afforestation and national greening. After taking charge of Fujian Province, he actively promoted the construction of "Ecological Fujian." For many years, Fujian's forest coverage rate has ranked first in the country. Since the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has further proposed the "four reservoirs" and "treasure house" theories, raising the understanding of the forest's diverse values to a completely new height. The forest is not only a "water reservoir, grain reservoir, money reservoir, and carbon reservoir," but also an oxygen reservoir, a medicine reservoir, a fitness reservoir, and a wellness reservoir. It possesses not only ecological, economic, and social values, but also increasingly prominent life value, health value, aesthetic value, and cultural value. "We benefit not only from the clean air and water, carbon storage, and the species habitat provided by forests but also from the peace and tranquility, their beauty and vitality, and other benefits that forests bring us." Thus, the forest is not merely a collection of reservoirs; it is a "great treasure house" (大宝库) for the maintenance of human health, survival, and development. "Lucid waters and lush mountains," primarily characterized by forests, are "invaluable assets" (无价之宝) [15].
(II) Fully recognizing the life-health value and role of the forest "four reservoirs"
Breathing clean air, drinking clean water, eating safe food, and living in a livable environment are necessary to meet the people’s growing needs for a beautiful environment, as well as their growing needs for life security and physical health. To meet these aspirations for a "better life," we must fully recognize and leverage the life-health value of the "four reservoirs." This is because human life and health are closely linked to these four functions: water is the source of life and health, and since forests are catchments, purifiers, and soil-and-water protectors, they meet the need for people to have water and to drink clean water; food is the essence of life and health, and since forests are great grain reservoirs, nutrient stores, and green granaries, they meet the need for people to be well-fed and to eat safe, high-quality food; forests are the foundation of life and health, serving as medicinal stores and wellness hubs to meet the needs for drug safety, health maintenance, and material wealth; air is the root of life and health, and as natural oxygen bars, air purifiers, and climate regulators, forests meet the need for fresh air and a suitable climate. On the surface, forests are "water, grain, money, and carbon" reservoirs; in reality, the "four reservoirs" constitute the life and health reservoir of the masses. If the "four reservoirs" theory proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping reveals the indirect value of forests to human life and health, then the concept that a "Beautiful China" means "making the great rivers and mountains of the motherland healthy, and ensuring the health of the Chinese nation for generations to come" reveals the forest's direct value to human health. Given this intrinsic link, leveraging the life-health function of forests requires promoting the linkage of the "four reservoirs" and the simultaneous advancement of the "three greens."
(III) Adhering to the "people-centered" health approach to promote the linkage of the forest "four reservoirs"
The forest "four reservoirs" are not four independent silos; rather, they constitute a "great treasure house" that integrates the functions of water, money, grain, and carbon into one body. Theoretically, the "four reservoirs" are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Only by playing the roles of "water reservoir," "grain reservoir," and "carbon reservoir" can forest water, food, and carbon be transformed into a "money reservoir," and vice versa. However, in practice, the performance of these functions is not always consistent; on the contrary, they often experience contradiction and conflict. Engels pointed out on several occasions that in their quest for arable land, people destroyed forests, only to lose their water sources and end up with barren land. In Southern China, the vigorous promotion of eucalyptus planting, while high in economic value, has raised ecological concerns, earning it the nicknames "water pump" and "despot tree" [16]. Therefore, we cannot view or utilize the "four reservoirs" in isolation; we must consider them holistically and advance them systematically through organic linkage. Safeguarding human life and health is the most essential and core value of the forest—its ultimate purpose. Thus, adhering to a "people-centered" health approach is the key to promoting this linkage. In other words, to achieve a virtuous cycle and comprehensive unity—expanding water capacity, increasing grain yields, raising incomes, and enhancing carbon efficiency—we must prioritize life and health as the primary principle. This is a necessary requirement for implementing the "people-centered" development philosophy and the "health-prioritized" development strategy. It is the concrete manifestation of the idea that "a good ecological environment is the basis for human survival and health" and that "lucid waters and lush mountains" are an "important guarantee for the health of the masses."
(IV) Adhering to the "three greens" and carrying out large-scale national greening campaigns
Forests are—
"Water reservoir, grain store, money reservoir, and carbon sink"—this implies that forests precede the "Four Reservoirs" of forests. As the saying goes, if the skin is gone, where will the hair attach? [17] Without forests, there would be no "Four Reservoirs." The prerequisite for leveraging the role of the forest "Four Reservoirs" is the construction of healthy forests. "Afforestation is an important path to achieving blue skies, green land, and clean water," and greening the motherland must persist in the simultaneous advancement of "Three Greens": expanding greenery, promoting greenery, and protecting greenery.
In terms of expanding greenery, we should continuously advance afforestation and deeply carry out the nationwide voluntary tree-planting campaign. We must plant trees where suitable for trees and grass where suitable for grass, choosing the right trees for the right land and the right time with the right methods. We must seize every opportunity and utilize every space [18] for three-dimensional greening, increasing both the quantity and, more importantly, the quality of forests. We should not pursue rare trees or exotic flowers and grasses, but rather plant trees for the people and create benefits for the masses, following a scientific, ecological, and frugal path of green development.
In terms of protecting greenery, we must adhere to the priority of forest protection. We must not only plant many trees and plant them well, but also manage and protect them effectively. We must safeguard the greening achievements obtained through years of voluntary tree planting, pay close attention to and succeed in forest fire prevention and suppression, deeply conduct the investigation and rectification of major forest hazards, improve and implement the natural forest protection system, protect every inch of green, and guard the motherland's lucid waters and lush mountains to ensure the masses live high-quality lives.
In terms of promoting greenery, "if people are encouraged to seek health in the forest, then the forest will be better protected." This means that fully recognizing and leveraging the life and health value of the forest "Four Reservoirs" can provide the fundamental motivation for people’s behavior in loving and protecting green, as well as for carrying out national greening operations. To this end, we should actively explore and continuously expand the paths for transforming the forest "Four Reservoirs" into a reservoir for the life and health of the people, striving to achieve the organic unity of various values and functions, including the ecological, economic, and health dimensions of the forest.