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India launches a new evaluation cycle for its 58 tiger reserves

Wild tiger in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
Conservation · Management

India has begun a new nationwide review of how its 58 tiger reserves are managed. The sixth Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves (MEE-TR 2026) will examine whether the areas are protecting tigers (Panthera tigris), their prey and habitats effectively, and will assess waste management as a separate criterion for the first time.

Previous evaluation cycles covered fewer reserves; the last assessed 51. The new round is intended to include all 58, allowing management practices, priorities and weaknesses to be examined across the entire reserve network. It was launched at a workshop in New Delhi by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India.

What makes a reserve effective?

Independent multidisciplinary teams will assess evidence from the field, including the protection of tigers and prey animals, the condition of habitat, wildlife monitoring, coexistence with nearby communities, tourism and connections between reserves. These connections matter because tigers need opportunities to disperse between suitable habitats rather than being confined to isolated populations.

The framework also looks beyond the existence of a management plan. It considers whether reserves have adequate resources, whether protective measures are carried out and what results the management actually achieves. The aim is to identify practical gaps and direct attention and resources to where they are most needed.

Waste becomes a separate conservation issue

For the first time in this evaluation process, solid-waste management will receive its own assessment. The criterion covers waste generated at forest guard posts and by tourism, as well as biomedical waste from wildlife rescue centres. Poor disposal can create sanitation problems and unwanted interactions between wildlife and human activity, making management of these materials relevant to reserve operations.

The evaluation has only been launched; it has not yet produced assessments of individual reserves. Its significance lies in the more comprehensive review of India’s tiger-reserve network and in making a previously less visible part of day-to-day conservation management an explicit subject of scrutiny.

Sources and image credit

  1. Union Environment Minister launches Inception Workshop for 6th Cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves in India; Technical Manual for MEE-TR 2026 releasedOfficial release confirming the workshop, planned coverage, assessment framework, new solid-waste criterion and release of the technical manual.

Image: Wild Bengal Tiger T-24, Ranthambore, India. Photo: Warren Pereira / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. · CC BY 4.0 · Source

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