コウ, あら.い, あら, あ.れる, あ.らす, あ.らし, すさ.む, ら

laid waste, rough, rude, wild

JLPT2 G7 S9 F1099

The lower element# is (obscure) + river → watery wasteland (← obscure part of a river). 荒 adds 艸 grass/plant → *wasteland* → *wild*; *rough*; *lay waste to*; *devastate*; *go to ruin*; *vast*; *violence*; *riot*; *storm* → *chapping* (← roughness).

[Full Kanji Etymology List]