Human Centered Governance for Sustainable Campus Canteen Wastewater Management Using Design Thinking and 5ME

Abstract

Canteen wastewater management in higher education institutions exemplifies the intersection of environmental, social, and institutional sustainability. This study applies a human-centered governance approach integrating Design Thinking (DT) and the 5M+E framework (Man, Machine, Method, Material, Money, Environment) to co-develop and evaluate a low-cost, participatory wastewater treatment model at Telkom University, Bandung, Indonesia. Using a Process–Management–Governance (PMG) perspective, DT guided iterative problem-solving (Empathize–Define–Ideate– Prototype–Test), while the 5M+E model structured the assessment of operational and sustainability factors. University commitment acted as the governance layer ensuring accountability and long-term viability. The resulting two-stage natural filtration system—comprising banana stems, coconut fiber, red brick, charcoal, and split stone—was collaboratively designed under limited resources. Sentinel indicators showed qualitative improvements: pH shifted from alkaline to neutral, water clarity and odor improved, aquatic biota reappeared, indicating preliminary visually evidence of ecological recovery, along with increased stakeholder acceptance. Although COD, BOD5, TSS, and FOG were not yet measured at this pilot stage, compliance with Indonesian discharge standards will be verified in subsequent studies. These findings are based on qualitative and sentinel indicators and should not be interpreted as a formal regulatory compliance assessment. The 5M+E analysis identified Environment, Material, and Man as the primary sustainability drivers. Findings suggest that long-term success depends less on filtration technology than on the governance architecture that institutionalizes learning, participation, and legitimacy. The study’s novelty lies in reframing wastewater treatment as a governance-driven sustainability process by operationalizing human-centered design and managerial frameworks within a real institutional context in a developing country, thereby extending the literature on sustainability governance and design thinking for management, and supporting progress toward UN SDGs 6 and 12.