The Nature and Implications of Recent Population Growth in California

The rate of population growth and associated economic growth has placed enormous demands on Californian resources of land, air and water. Recent figures reveal a dramatic regional shift of the population away from the main urban concentrations towards remote rural locations. This has resulted in a significant conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses and generated a changing attitude towards growth management. The assumption that population growth and economic development bring entirely positive effects is being questioned at a time when the Californian environment and quality of life is under severe pressure.