The Social Return Ratio and Behavioral Success from Groundwater Development for Mitigating Against PM2.5 Pollution from Forest Fires in Ko, Li, Lamphun

This study aims to evaluate the Ban Ko Groundwater Development Project in Li District, Lamphun Province, which seeks to address PM2.5 pollution from forest fires through rural economic development. The Social Return on Investment (SROI) approach was applied to assess the project’s social return ratio (SRR), revealing that the intervention lacked cost-effectiveness and did not yield sufficient social or economic returns on investment. Decision Tree analysis indicated that economic benefits significantly influenced positive behavioral change toward environmental conservation; however, the magnitude of this change was insufficient to generate substantial environmental improvements. Furthermore, the application of the Collective Interest Model (CIM) revealed that several social factors including personal pro-environmental tendencies, perceived group efficacy, civic responsibility, economic incentives, education, and age contributed to individuals’ decisions to engage in environmental problem-solving. These findings suggest that future economic development efforts must be integrated with social dimensions to foster sustainable environmental solutions in rural contexts.