Markéta Dohnálková works on a question most of us never have to consider: how to safely store spent nuclear fuel without endangering the environment, not just for decades or centuries, but for hundreds of thousands of years. She has been dedicated to this challenge for nearly twenty years. In the Czech Republic, she leads the development of a deep geological repository, overseeing everything from technical design and engineered barrier systems to the ongoing site selection process.
Her work brings together geology, civil engineering, and safety assessment with the realities of decision-making in modern society. She operates at the intersection of science, technology, and public engagement, balancing data from hundreds of metres below the Earth’s surface with discussions involving communities directly affected by these decisions. Because a solution on this timescale is not only a technical challenge, but also a matter of public trust.
In 2025–2026, she serves as Chair of the International Geological Disposal Technology Platform (IGD-TP), an international organisation that brings together institutions responsible for the geological disposal of radioactive waste across Europe and supports knowledge sharing and the development of common solutions.
