Influence of transport accessibility on the development of remote areas of residence of the indigenous people of the North

Abstract

In the complex of socio-economic and environmental problems, infrastructure provision is becoming a key issue. A feature of remote areas is the inconsistency in understanding the vital need for access to modern infrastructures (primarily transport) and the costs associated with this access. On the one hand, the transport infrastructure in the region can contribute to the efficient use of the economic potential of the region. On the other hand, fencing from the outside world with restricting existing traffic flows and rejecting new transport projects may be the local population’s own choice. In modern Russian practice, industrial development is the main driving force in the development of the transport infrastructure of the territories. In this article, the following territories of the Russian Federation - Tyndinsky District of the Amur region, Neryungrinsky District of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) were selected as model territories for studies of the mutual influence of mining enterprises and the development of transport infrastructure on the socio-economic state of remote regions. The study used methods of comparative geographic and statistical analysis and data generalization problem approaches, in-depth and group interviews with local residents. The results of the analysis of publicly available data on the development and maintenance of specific transport arteries and original materials of field studies are presented. It is important that local residents associate the improvement of the economic situation in their settlements, including through changes in the transport and geographical position, with the development of industrial companies and express their largely favorable attitude towards them, despite doubts about the accompanying environmental consequences.