GEOTA, a Portuguese environmental NGO, wanted to raise awareness about the importance of riverside ecosystems and the largely invisible impact of dam construction in Portugal, with a clear goal: to collect signatures to bring the issue to a parliamentary debate at the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic.

There are over 8,000 barriers and dams across the country, many of them obsolete or unnecessary. Because they are located far from major urban centers, the issue is rarely discussed. One of their least-known consequences is the disruption of natural sand transport, accelerating coastal erosion and putting entire beaches at risk.

Our provocation was simple: if beaches disappear, why not turn them into real estate projects?

We created a fake real estate agency and fictional architectural developments for two iconic beaches near urban centers, Costa da Caparica and Espinho, promoting luxury marinas with apartments, restaurants, business areas and boat docks.

Public outrage was immediate. And that was the point.
If the mere possibility of losing a beach causes such a reaction, why does the uncontrolled construction of thousands of dams generate so little public debate?
The controversy helped mobilize public opinion and drive signature collection, enabling the issue to be formally discussed in Parliament.