Radically new approaches to the formation of both foreign and domestic Arctic policy have been established in the USSR. Design of a real Arctic policy founded on these approaches is proceeding at a slow pace, however, and all means of dealing with Arctic issues through departmental approaches have been exhausted. Of all the Arctic problems facing the country, questions related to a radical restructuring of the social outlook of the North and developing its infrastructure are being brought to the forefront. Development of the Soviet North has resulted in a deep conflict between the economic interests of industrial civilization and the Arctic ecosystems now functioning at critical levels. More important, the interests, the identity, and the very existence of small Northern aboriginal peoples are at stake. Yet a certain optimism is inspired by several factors: awareness of the challenge facing the Soviet Union in the Arctic; active involvement of a major scientific effort; institutionalized participation of the native peoples in decision making; and an ever expanding role played by a sphere of international cooperation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.