International Mother Earth Day is being celebrated today, April 22.

The proclamation of April 22 as International Mother Earth Day is an acknowledgement that the Earth and its ecosystems provide its inhabitants with life and sustenance. It also recognizes a collective responsibility, as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration, to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity.

'Mother Earth' is an ancient concept common to many languages and cultures, acknowledging our connection to the planet which sustains and nurtures us. Names include Pachamama (Andean culture), Terra (Ancient Rome) and Gaia (Ancient Greece). Gaiahas also been used to name a theory (Gaia hypothesis) that life on Earth is organized into a complex a self-regulating system.

"International Mother Earth Day is a chance to reaffirm our collective responsibility to promote harmony with nature at a time when our planet is under threat from climate change, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and other man-made problems. When we threaten the planet, we undermine our only home – and our future survival. On this International Day, let us renew our pledges to honor and respect Mother Earth," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message issued on the occasion.