Most species are distributed in the tropics, yet our understanding of tropical biodiversity distribution remains under-represented. With the increasing popularity of social media, many people are posting species photographs, which can be used to reduce biodiversity data gaps. We combine species distribution data from Facebook and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to assess the protected-area representation for Bangladeshi taxa and identify the most important conservation areas.

Only five of the 1,097 assessed species are well represented by the current protected-area system of Bangladesh. The priority areas, spanning 39% of Bangladesh, are distributed mostly in the northeast and southeast regions. Our findings can help Bangladesh in meeting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets. Additionally, the approach can be readily applicable to other countries, especially for countries lacking comprehensive biodiversity databases.