
Haoran "Casey" Shi
Haoran “Casey” Shi is an anthropological archaeologist who is interested in the creativity and adaptability that small-scale communities demonstrate confronting environmental challenges. His research integrates geological, archaeological, and anthropological approaches to explore how decentralized water management systems have demonstrated resilience over time. Theoretically, he examines how local identity, emotions, and cultural heritage can improve these systems' ability to adapt and thrive. At CESTA, Casey will use deep learning techniques and declassified spy imagery to trace the diverse trajectories of underground aqueducts in Turpan, Xinjiang, uncovering how community-led management has shaped their evolution and resilience since the 1970s.
Project Description
This project investigates how small-scale infrastructure favors engineered resilience compared to centralized management. Focusing on the kariz irrigation aqueducts in Turpan, Xinjiang — which have functioned for 700–900 years — the aim of the project is to understand how these locally managed aqueducts flexibly adapt to ecological crises. To do so, this project uses object detection models to automate mapping of thousands of such aqueducts in the study region. By comparing aqueducts visible in recently declassified KH-9 satellite images to those in contemporary satellite data, the project will seek to show maintenance strategies over the past 40–50 years. This comparison will illustrate how the diversity of local management supports ongoing functionality of these aqueducts, offering insights into the potential of small-scale infrastructure to face an increasingly uncertain future.