## 5 Conclusions  
While many studies broadly compare annual and monthly ET estimates, this study provides deeper insights into modeled ET at the sub-regional, seasonal, and ecosystem scales with its implication in seasonal stress prediction. Errors in ET estimates can have profound implications for regional water budget assessments and evaluations of agro-ecological drought risk. Therefore, it is imperative to continue refining model parameterization and enhancing the accuracy of ET simulations. Comparing models like STEPS, SCOPE, and TSEB reveals inconsistencies in their ET estimations for similar meteorological conditions. This exposes inherent biases within each model's algorithms and assumptions for Mediterranean conditions. These inter-model comparisons revealed the significant influence of factors like LST, LAI, and subsurface hydrology on regional-scale ET calculations. This knowledge can help improve datasets on these factors during model improvement and parameter refining. Key insights are as follows:  
1. STEPS encountered challenges in effectively modulating the seasonality of ET over different ecosystems. SCOPE gave higher evapotranspiration (ET) estimates during summer, and TSEB yielded lower ET estimates over forest ecosystems. 2. TSEB showed larger uncertainty in its current parameterization routine, particularly when applied at a scale of 10 km. However, studies have shown that its less than 15% discrepancies in validation against ground observations when used at high resolution. To enhance its applicability across the large Mediterranean region, a seasonal adaptation of the model while considering dominant vegetation cover for a given period is recommended [62; 63], and more specific vegetation parameterization, especially for forests, is required. 3. GLEAM could not perform well over irrigated Nile Egypt. GLEAM's limitations in irrigated areas suggest the need for an improved representation of crop phenology. However, it showed good results in semi-arid ecosystems of Spain and France, with potential use of microwave satellite-based products. 4. STEPS showed some spatial similarity with existing global datasets and produced satisfactory simulation results, over some forest and crop sites. However, for large-scale applications, it requires extensive sub-regional scale parameterization, as this generic parameterization has yielded unreliable results in some locations. 5. The evaporative stress index across different regions has shown robust agreement and reliability among these models in some areas, i.e., Morocco, Spain, and Egypt, where ground data were missing but the absence of significant trends over Italy, Balkans, and Turkey indicates the need for region-specific model calibration and validation for all models. None of the models could holistically capture ET patterns across the entire region, and each has limitations and weaknesses in particular climates and ecosystems. This comparison, however, indicates areas of improvement in these models. Further investigation into model physics and forcing errors can enhance the overall robustness of ET simulations. Generic parameterizations used in some models (e.g., STEPS, TSEB, and SCOPE) can lead to unreliable results in certain locations. We should prioritize creating parameter sets tailored to specific regions and ecosystems within the Mediterranean. This will lead to more accurate model representations of local ET dynamics. Integrating high-resolution remote sensing data using advanced data assimilation offers significant potential for improving model accuracy. Tuning models for accurately representing extremely humid and arid environments within the Mediterranean will enhance their applicability in water management and environmental planning across the Middle East, North Africa, and Scandinavian regions. Conceptualization, Z.U. and A.G.; methodology, Z.U., A.G., E.P. and V.B.-L.; software, Z.U., A.G., E.P., C.V.d.T. and V.B.-L.; data curation, Z.U., A.G. and E.P. ; writing--original draft preparation, Z.U.