During the past few decades the environmental and economic realities of the Arctic have changed dramatically. Global warming processes create new challenges. The effects of warming including record reduction in arctic summer ice extent, acceleration of glacier melt and others have significant impact on Arctic water transportation activity. The different scenarios of Arctic marine shipping development are presented. The authors state the issues connected with the usage of the Northern Sea Route and Northwest Passage. The results of the study can be used for the development of international marine shipping infrastructure, safe navigation support and systems of response to emergency situations in Arctic Ocean.
The recent changes of the environment will continue into the future and cause consequences in all spheres of human life. Significant impact of global processes on regional development will be shown in more vulnerable areas of the Earth and first of all in fragile Polar areas. The studying of the possibilities of Arctic regions development in new environmental conditions now is in the focus of Polar research. The analysis of the coming changes influence will be important for the supporting of environmental security and economic efficiency of future projects of the development of marine shipping activity and prospective sea routes in the Arctic Ocean.
Global Warming During the last few decades the problem of global warming became one of the most alarming questions in scientific society. There are many hypotheses about the "natural warming" connected with solar activity, intraterrestrial processes, climate system fluctuations and also global models of atmosphere circulation under the effects of intensive and weak growth of greenhouse gases. But it is becoming obvious that slowing down of climate warming caused by anthropogenous influence will not be possible until the middle of the XXI century.
