Arid areas (7)
I believe the answer is:
deserts
'arid areas' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for deserts that I've seen before include "Wastes" , "Abandons; barren places" , "Kalahari and Gobi" , "uncultivated regions" , "Abandons - just reward" .)