The article reveals the main problems facing hydrologists in engineering design in the Arctic zone of Russia and adjacent territories of permafrost. Climate warming and degradation of permafrost cause a significant transformation of the hydrological cycle. The retrospective observations of runoff cannot be considered therefore in modern conditions. The density of the hydrological network in the permafrost zone of Russia has decreased by more than 1.5 times, and on small rivers – more than three times in recent decades. Thus, the use of standard calculation methods (SP 33-101-2003) to assess the runoff characteristics in the Arctic regions is practically impossible. It is shown that in the developed Arctic countries where the size of the territories and their inaccessibility could be compared with withRussia, the low density of the standard observation network is compensated by the organization of small scientific research stations for studying hydrological processes in various physical and geographical conditions and the development of mathematical modeling methods. It is shown that historicallyRussiawas the leader of hydrological research in cold regions. It is stated that there is an urgent need to create a state program aimed at restoring the previously operating in the cryolithоzone and organizing new research hydrological watersheds, improving the standard hydrological network, and developing complex modeling systems and methods for their parameterization.