Forests are affected by wars because forest products are used for fulfilling various needs and requirement during war. In the case of India, during the First World War and the Second World War the forest department cut trees freely to meet British war needs. During the Second World War in Java just before the Japanese occupied the region, the Dutch followed 'a scorched Earth policy', destroying sawmills and burning huge piles of giant teak logs so that they did not fall into Japanese hands. The Japanese exploited the forests recklessly for their war industries, forcing villagers to cut down forests. Many villagers took this opportunity to expand cultivation in the forests. Thus, wars also led to destruction of forests.
