**3. Conclusions**

In this study in which geological and geomorphological and natural and environmental risks in gypsum areas were examined, natural hazards, environmental problems, and risk situation were dissociated and discussed. In other words, upon evaluating the available data, it was suggested that the problems arising from the gypsum karst may occur and may increase over time with the contributions of the intense seismic activity, geological units specific to karstic environments, heavy rainfall due to erosion, and occasional human interventions. On the other hand, all events such as soil and water pollution caused by gypsum in evaporite areas, salinization in the soil, and underground/surface waters as a result of the dissolution of gypsum, corrosion on the ground and structures, swelling and collapses on the ground, and the development of various karstic structures (dissolution/ erosion/collapse areas, caves, fractures, cracks, etc.) underground were described as environmental problems. The hazards, environmental problems, and risks that may arise in gypsum areas, in the site selection of settlement areas due to urbanization and population growth were also emphasized.

In conclusion, it was strongly emphasized that gypsum areas with all types of features specific to karstic areas are risky areas in terms of natural hazards and environmental problems and that they would also maintain various environmental problems in the future. Accordingly, it was proposed for countries and regional and local authorities to prepare various risk maps showing the limits of hazardous and safe areas for the prevention of economic losses and the sustainability of all living things, to be always sensitive to environmental hazards within these limits, and to carry out monitoring studies. Furthermore, since the amount of dissolution and damaged area in gypsum may increase under the effect of water over time, these areas are defined as risky areas for settlement in geological engineering studies. Therefore, it will be useful always to pay the necessary attention to foundation engineering because, in the future, corrosive areas that will cause damage to the structure and ground in the foundation of the structure may occur and decompose concrete and building systems, and grounds may collapse by dissolution. Therefore, it would be useful to be cautious in geologically gypsum areas since natural hazards and environmental problems will always pose risks in these areas.

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**Author details**

Sevda Özel

provided the original work is properly cited.

\*Address all correspondence to: sozel@cumhuriyet.edu.tr

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

Department of Geophysical Engineering, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey

*Identification and Assessment of Hazard of Development in Gypsum Karst Regions: Examples…*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83684*

*Identification and Assessment of Hazard of Development in Gypsum Karst Regions: Examples… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83684*
